The Final Legacy
by SEZCPL
Summary: Pt 3 of the "Legacy" Series. It's been a roller-coaster of a life so far and Derek has reached the top of the big dipper loop. Hold on to your stomach it's all downhill from here!
1. Results

**AN: This is a VERY short chapter to start the Third part of the "Legacy" series. The rest will be their normal length. As I was writing this I found that I couldn't think of anything else to put in the chapter.**

**I'm not going to cheat you by saying this is the only chapter you'll get before I leave for New York. I'm going to try and post another one before Monday.**

**I just wanted you to have this now.**

****

_**Previously (Final Chapter of "Another Legacy"):**_

"_**Derek, I love you more than my life but I didn't make the decision for you." Casey said seriously.**_

"_**Oh?"**_

"_**I think I'm pregnant."**_

THE FINAL LEGACY

You know you've reached a certain point in a relationship with a woman when you seem to spend the majority of your spare time waiting outside of female restrooms. Derek had been there for a while.

He meant that in two ways:

Firstly he had been in this relationship with Casey for several months now…and frankly he had been sitting outside of washrooms on her behalf since the day they first met.

Secondly, he really _had_ been sitting outside of this particular bathroom for a very long time…how long did it take to have a pee?

"Erm…Casey?"  
>"What?"<br>"Do you need a glass of water or something?"  
>"No. What I need is for you to stop <em>keep interrupting me every thirty seconds with inane questions and let me pee in peace!<em>"

"Okay…just asking."

About thirty seconds later, the door lock clicked and Casey emerged.

"Jeez that took forever, don't they have ones that work quicker?" Derek asked standing up from his spot on the floor.

"What?" Casey asked in a distracted voice. "No. I've never been able to pee with someone listening at the door. It took me half an hour to find the…_urge_."

Derek stared at her.

"I can't believe we're discussing your…peeing habits."

"Me either." She admitted. Her hands were shaking.

"So how long do we wait?" Derek asked. He was new to this. Despite all the hints through school that this might be an accidental _something_ he would have to go through…possibly more than once, he'd never done this before. This was new. This was different. This was…

…fucking scary.

But it was also something else.

Something he wouldn't let himself contemplate until he knew for sure. Something…hopeful?

But it might be nothing.

SO…until nothing became something anything could happen.

"Sorry?" Casey broke across his thoughts. "What did you say?"

"I asked how long we have to wait."

"For what?"

"The…erm…_result_?"

"Oh…we don't."

"We don't?"

"No. It changed straight away. You're going to be a father."


	2. Spreading the News

Casey sat on the closed toilet staring at the unopened test box. She wondered why she was even bothering.

She knew she was pregnant.

However, she had also known that the first thing Derek would want when she told him it was a possibility was for her to take a test. It was the layman's approach to pregnancy: until the little stick said otherwise it was only a maybe.

But Casey was a doctor and she knew the signs. Her first clue, contrary to popular belief was not the lack of her period. The first clue came days before that with the unusual tenderness of her breasts, and then had come the weird metallic taste in her mouth of which she only realised the significance after the third symptom…the non-appearance of her period.

She probably should have told Derek then, but it coincided with things getting "busy" on his case. She wanted to support him as much as possible and she had known that the news that he was going to be a dad would be too much of a distraction. So she held her tongue.

The case was the distraction for her. She allowed herself to push her imminent motherhood to the back of her mind. She needed to ignore it and concentrate on keeping Derek alive: on keeping her baby's _father_ alive.

Casey needed to keep herself alive.

By that she didn't just mean keeping herself and her unborn child safe from the bad-guy, she also meant that she wasn't sure that she could live if she lost Derek again.

And she hoped that when she told him she was pregnant she wouldn't lose him then either.

They had both stared at each other when she made the announcement after Spike had left.

"Are you serious?" Derek had asked.

Casey had nodded, relieved that he phrased it like that rather than something more _telling_, like "You're fucking joking!" or "Quit pissing around Casey", either of which were possible reactions to the news that Derek Venturi had impregnated his step-sister.

"Okay." He had said quietly after another pause. "You _think_? Have you done a test?"

She had smiled inwardly at this predictable response and shook her head.

"I have one." She said. "I was waiting until things quietened down to tell you. I…um…wanted to do that together."

Derek's eyes flashed up to meet hers. She frowned and then backtracked.

"I mean. I wanted you the other side of the door, not…" She let her voice trail away.

"Good." Derek said relieved. "Because I don't care how comfortable we are in this relationship, I will never be ready to watch you pee."

Casey giggled nervously and he smiled.

Derek eased her off his lap and stood up. "Come on. Let's get it over with."  
>"Now?" She squeaked in panic.<p>

"Every day you delay is just prolonging the agony." He stated.

Casey wondered if that was an indication of which way he wanted the test to go.

She loved this man and she knew him better than anyone, but she had no idea how he would take the news that in approximately thirty four weeks time he would be a dad.

When they were teenagers, she had overheard conversations between George and Derek about his dating habits and the potential consequences. Derek had been dismissive of his father's concerns saying with a smirk that he "had it covered". Casey had rolled her eyes at the time and hoped that an unplanned pregnancy was not going to be the ultimate Derek screw up. (Pun unintended).

And she had seen him with their siblings…which wasn't an entirely ringing endorsement for Derek's paternal feelings. He had been a teenager then. Although he was of course the _only_ person at times who could get Marti to go to bed, and he had helped Robbie to knock down bricks by the dozen, he was also the guy who used Marti to get a date.

Casey sighed. They had never had the "children" conversation because they had never had the "future" conversation – because they weren't entirely sure that they had a future – either together or apart.

Just how would Derek react?

Somewhere a clock ticked making Derek frown absent-mindedly. He hadn't been aware that there was a clock capable of ticking anywhere in the apartment. It was probably a Casey-purchase that had slipped under the radar.

Not that he minded. She was very good about finding great deals on the things she bought, and when she did have a momentary splurge and bought a real luxury, she always used her own account rather than the one they shared.

He briefly contemplated going to find the clock because it's ticking was persistent, but his shock-addled brain half-computed that something about that action would be off.

What was he doing again?

Casey was saying something…

"You're going to be a father." Casey repeated when Derek said nothing but just stared at her.

_Ah Yes! Casey had just told him the result of the…_

_Holy Fuck! _

Derek swallowed. _My girlfriend is pregnant! Screw that! CASEY is pregnant! _

_And it's mine!_

*Blink*

_Who else's would it be? Which means I'm going to be a dad._

Derek's brain was processing the news, but it was doing so internally. His face was a strange mixture of shock and confusion; a face Casey had seen before as a teenager just before Derek bolted for the door.

Of course he had no intention of bolting for the door but when he still didn't say anything…Casey burst into tears.

Derek got up off the floor and crossed to her in a flash, wrapping his arms around her.

"Princess…" he tried, his voice not wanting to work. He cleared his throat and then pressed a kiss into her hair. "Honey, don't cry…please…?"

Casey's body was shaking in his arms.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Derek said. "It took two. Besides…"

"…I promise I took my pill religiously, and I always told you if we needed other protection, it's just that most pills have a failure rate of 0.3% which means even if a thousand women have taken it perfectly for a year three will still get pregnant."

Derek hid a smile. Keener Casey had a tendency to surface in times of trauma.

"It's fine." Derek said softly and kissed her again.

"…but I don't want you to think that I'm trying to trap you or ruin things or…"  
>"Casey, it's fine…it's happened…" he insisted.<p>

"I just…" She protested.

"Casey!" Derek snapped, slightly louder than he had planned. "We. Will. _Deal_. With. It!"

Casey's head snapped up suddenly, her eyes wide and…horrified. She pulled away.

"We'll what…?" She gasped.

Derek shrugged. "We deal with it. It's not a problem."  
>Casey's face turned from one of shock and horror to rage.<p>

She pushed past him and headed for the door, grabbing her purse as she went.

Derek looked confused.

"Casey…"

She paused at the door.

"We are NOT going to DEAL with my baby!" She announced.

And then she was gone.

* * *

><p>Bea and Jazz were snuggling on the couch. Jazz was still on leave after the events of the past few days and Bea had taken advantage of it by cancelling a few less important meetings so that she could be at home with him…in their new apartment.<p>

The new apartment had been a bit of a shock for Jazz. They had briefly discussed how much they liked this particular condo when their made their house-hunting trip – three weeks ago. It was nice, modern and in a good area – in fact it was three blocks from Casey and Derek's apartment.

It had come as a bit of a shock to find, when he returned that Bea had secured the apartment and moved both of them into it! She had even paid to break his lease on his old apartment.

There had been a small _discussion_ about it, but in the end he had seen her point. They had wasted too much time disagreeing in this life time it was time to move on.

So now he was cuddling up to his "co-habitee" and enjoying every minute of the attention her lips were paying to his neck as she explained in detail the benefits of them living together. He had one foot towards the bedroom door already.

Then the frantic knocking started.

"What's that?" He murmured into her ear.

"The front door." Bea said, equally distracted.

"Who knows we're here?"  
>"Erm…only Casey?"<p>

Jazz pulled away and groaned.

"Oh fuck! What's Derek done _now?_"

The Casey at the door was distraught and there was no way that Bea could turn her away. Her face was red, raw and covered in snot.

"He wants to kill my baby!" She sobbed.

Jazz and Bea exchanged a glance even as Casey entered the apartment.

"Who, honey?" Bea asked carefully.

"Derek." Casey sobbed back.

Jazz took a deep breath and had his jacket and keys in his hand even before Bea looked at him.

"I'm on it." He sighed and stepped out of the front door.

* * *

><p>"Beer?" Derek asked as soon as Jazz appeared on his doorstep.<p>

"You don't want to know why I'm here?" Jazz asked surprised.

Derek shrugged. "I'm relieved you're here. At least now I know where Casey is. I've been going out of my fucking mind. I tried chasing after her but she took my fucking car."

"Ouch!"

"I wouldn't mind but since I arranged for her to have that defensive driving course she drives faster than I do."  
>Jazz sniggered.<p>

"She's with Bea?" Derek asked.

His friend nodded. "She's…upset."  
>"She say why?"<br>"You don't know?" Jazz sounded surprised.

"No. One minute we were talking, the next she was pissed and out the door."

Jazz sighed. "Bea will get it out of her." He frowned. "She said something about you killing her baby."  
>Derek frowned. "What?"<br>"She said, I quote "he wants to kill my baby."" Jazz said, following it up with a swig of beer.

Derek's frowned deepened. _What the fuck?_

He tried to replay the conversation in his mind but he couldn't see how she could get _that_ from his words.

Jazz watched the thought process through Derek's mind.

"What's going on D?"

Derek gave up and sighed.

"She's pregnant."

Jazz's eyes widened. "Oh."  
>Derek smiled. "Yeah…oh."<p>

"How long?"  
>His friend shrugged. "Fuck knows. We didn't get that far. She told me it was a possibility, we did the test, she told me the result and then cleared off to your place."<br>Jazz frowned. "There's more to it. There must be."

"Fuck if I know what."

"Derek…what did you say? When she told you?"  
>Derek got defensive. "It was nothing. I was supportive."<p>

Jazz curled an eyebrow.

"Seriously dude. I was really careful what I said. I know Casey. I knew she'd be sensitive."  
>"What. Did. You. Say?" Jazz asked again.<p>

Derek told him.

In Derek's defence, Jazz thought, there was actually nothing wrong with what he had said. But he could sort of see how Casey had misinterpreted Derek's words. At least, Jazz _assumed_ it was a misinterpretation.

"So just tell me, when you said "deal" with it, what did you mean, _exactly_?" Derek's friend asked.

Derek sighed.

"I meant that, I guess this happening now wasn't ideal…I mean my parents don't even know they have three living sons and now I'm about to make them grandparents too…But Jazz, I'd be lying if I said the idea of a mini-Derek was a bad one. And it's not as if my relationship with Casey isn't serious. Hell, I've been trying to work out how to…formalise it for months."  
>"But what did you mean?"<br>"I meant that we'd deal with it, one way or the other. People tell you all the time that you're never prepared for kids. So I guess we're a little less prepared than most, but Casey is the biggest keener around and she'll plan everything and I'll…let her."  
>Jazz relaxed.<p>

Derek frowned.

"Why?" He asked. "What do you think Casey thought I meant?"

* * *

><p>"Here." Bea handed a sobbing Casey a glass of water.<p>

"Thanks." Casey replied. At least that's what Bea assumed her friend had said. It was all a bit mumbled and snot-soaked to be honest.

"Want to talk about it?" Bea asked.

Casey shook her head. Bea breathed in deeply.

"You…sob sob…think you know someone and then…sob…"

"What did Derek do?" Bea asked, her tone slightly patronising. She knew Casey after all.

There was a long pause.

"He wants to kill my baby." Casey finally stated in a clear but haunted voice.

Bea frowned. "Baby?" She asked.

"I'm pregnant."

Bea's eyes widened and she let out a breath.

"Oh Casey!" She exclaimed.

"Derek doesn't want the baby. He wants it "dealt with"."

"Oh." Bea frowned.

If this was true then Casey was totally justified in being upset. Bea knew how _she_ would feel in Casey's position. The baby might not have been planned but when you are in a long term relationship you would hope – she would hope, that you would both welcome the baby into your lives.

It was a different matter if the relationship was new or if there was no relationship, although Bea wasn't sure she could ever want a baby of hers "dealt" with, she knew friends who had been in impossible situations and she wasn't one to judge.

"He wants me to get rid of it." Casey said sadly. "He doesn't want our baby."

Bea opened her arms and Casey closed the gap and sobbed on her friend's shoulder.

"Can I stay here for a while?" Casey asked through her sobs.

"Of course honey." Bea said calmly. "Jazz won't mind."

Casey looked up. "Oh…I forgot. I'm so sorry."  
>"Case, it's fine. You can stay here as long as you like. Now. Let's get you a nice warm drink and make you comfortable, okay? And then we'll talk."<p>

* * *

><p>"Shh…"<p>

"Why?" Jazz asked in a quieter voice.

"Because she doesn't know I'm on the phone. I'm supposed to be making camomile tea, and your voice is loud on the phone, it carries."

Jazz snorted. "Camomile."

"She's upset." Bea pointed out.  
>"She's hormonal." Jazz noted. "And let's be honest, she's Casey. I don't know how the fuck Derek does it."<p>

"What?"  
>Jazz sighed. "Oh come on. I love Casey to pieces but there's always drama somewhere. Look where the little trip home to talk to her friend got us."<br>"That's unfair, Jazz. Casey didn't know that it was Steven's uncle who was trying to kill Derek."  
>"I know… that's the worst part. She doesn't realise she's doing it!"<p>

Bea huffed. "Well, personally I think she's got a point this time."  
>Jazz groaned. "She told you."<p>

"Yeah. She told me. What the fuck?"

"What did she say?" he asked.

"What did Derek say?"

"I asked first."  
>Bea groaned. "Alright, but only because I'm seething and I know that nothing he said is going to mitigate his decision."<br>"Bea…" Jazz protested.

"Okay. He told her to get an abortion." She blurted.

Jazz sighed. "That's what she said?"

"Yes."

"He didn't say that."  
>"Yes he did."<br>"Bea. He didn't."

"You're just sticking up for him because he's your friend."

"I'm just sticking up for him because he told me exactly what he did say, what he was thinking and what he really wants."  
>"Men!"<p>

"Beatrice…shut up!"

"Fine. What did he _really _say?" She said it with a degree of sarcasm.

"He said they would "deal" with it."

There was a long pause. Jazz decided to elaborate.

"I asked him what he meant and he told me that whilst the timing wasn't great and they were doing things a bit backward he could see the positives in the situation and that he knew they would cope. He doesn't understand what he said that would make Casey go off like that."

"Shit. She didn't tell me exactly…I thought…she was just so adamant that he'd said it that I thought he'd said the word."

"Well he didn't. He's upset she's gone. It's all I can do to stop him coming round to beat the door down." Jazz exaggerated.

"No. Don't let him come here. Let me talk to Casey. Maybe I can get her to calm down and see things from a different angle."

Jazz sniggered. "Good luck with that."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry." Casey said when Bea re-entered the living room with the mug of tea.<p>

"For what?" Bea said. "You know you are always welcome to lean on me."

Casey smiled sadly. "Thank you. You're a good friend."  
>"Hey. You were a good friend to me when you convinced me to give Jazz a second chance. I'll always be indebted to you for that."<br>"Not after tonight you won't." Casey said wryly. "Did I interrupt something?"

Bea blushed. "Not really. We live together anyway, there's plenty of time for all that."

Casey giggled.

"Yes. It is convenient isn't it?"

Bea sipped her own beer and watched as Casey sipped at the yellow tea.

"Case."

"Hmm…"

"When Derek said…_that_…what words did he use?"  
>Casey looked up. "Does it matter?" She asked bitterly.<p>

Bea put a hand on her arm. "Yes honey, it does."  
>Casey sniffed. "Fine. He said we'd "deal" with it." She spat out. "Deal with <em>it<em>! As if what he said wasn't bad enough, he called our baby an _it_!"

Bea was silent for a moment and eventually, Casey noticed.

"What?" She asked.

"Casey, what if he meant something else? What if he meant that you'd deal with the situation…together?"  
>"That's what I said." Casey sipped again.<p>

"No. You said he was talking about an abortion. What if he meant that you would cope…come what may? What if he expected you would keep the baby and it never even crossed his mind that you would "get rid of it"?"  
>"But he…" Casey began but Bea interrupted.<p>

"Casey, what if the idea of you getting rid of your baby – a baby you created together- makes him feel as sick as it does you?"

Bea's friend's eyes widened. "But I…" She started and then she replayed the scene in her mind. Eventually, she coughed to clear her throat.

"But what if I am right and…"  
>"Casey. Jazz is with Derek. He's spoken to him. And I think you should too."<p>

* * *

><p>The sound of the key in the lock echoed through the silent apartment. Jazz glanced at Derek and stood up as Casey came through to the living room. She looked a mess.<p>

"I think this is my cue to leave." Jazz announced to the pair of them. "Erm…try not to kill anyone."

Neither of them replied. They just watched each other and as he closed the front door behind him, Jazz wasn't even sure that they knew he'd been there, let alone heard his words.

Derek was the first to break the awkward silence. He got up from his seat on the couch and walked to the sliding doors which led out onto the deck.

"You know me." He said to the glass which separated him from the night. "You know what I was like as a teenager. I was always out doing something, with someone. Either it was hockey or hanging with Sam and quite often it was with a girl." He scratched his hair. "And when I was home, yeah, I stayed in my room because I was a guy and that's what teenaged guys do, but my door was normally open so that I could hear the sounds of the house – of the family.

One of the hardest things I had to deal with after my "death" was the silence. I had a nice apartment, a decent job but apart from the guys I worked with, suddenly I was alone. I had to be. It wasn't safe to involve anyone. I couldn't have family and I couldn't have friends."

Casey crossed the room to stand beside him but she said nothing.

Derek continued. "So I never _expected_ to have children. Before the death I was too young to even contemplate it and afterwards…well, it just wasn't going to happen for someone in my position."

He turned to her. "But _never_ in my life have I actively thought that I wouldn't want my own child, even if I hadn't planned it! A child would be family, and I know only too well how important family is – especially to someone who has no one.

Am I shocked? Hell yes! When you told me it was a possibility it stunned me. But when I started to process the idea that it _could_ happen, that it _maybe_ happening, a part of what I felt was _hope_. It wasn't a huge part to start with, but it grew while I waited for you outside the bathroom.

I need people around me, Casey. Family is very important to me: our parents, our siblings, you…and now our baby. You're giving me something I wish I had had the courage to dream about having. So don't _ever_ think that I wouldn't want him or her. Because I do…as much as I want you and that will never change."

A tear fell from Casey's already reddened eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm just…"  
>"Overwhelmed. Yeah. Me too. And to cap it all you have a shit ton of new hormones messing with you and your emotions." Derek smirked. "Not that I'd have thought you'd have behaved any other way under normal circumstances. What is it with you and tears?"<p>

Casey pulled a face and made to turn away but he caught her by the waist.

"Uh uh! You aren't going anywhere." He said pulling her into his arms. "I need something from my child's mother and payment is way overdue."  
>"What?" Casey asked, trapped in his arms.<p>

"This…" Derek said and lowered his lips to hers.

The kiss deepened and he could taste the salt of her tears on her lips. Casey relaxed into the familiar warmth of his body. Derek held her close even as their mouths parted.

"Everything may have changed." He whispered. "But nothing has. I'm still yours, you're still mine. It's just that what we have between us has developed a life of its own: a very important life."

"How do you do that?" Casey asked in surprise.

"How do I do what?"

"Distract me with exactly the right words."

He chuckled. "That's nothing. You distract me without even opening your mouth."

* * *

><p>Derek ran Casey a ("not too hot, please") bath and sat beside her as she soaked the tears and tension away. Then he helped her dry and dress before taking her to bed, in the most innocent way. They hadn't talked about the practicalities of their physical relationship yet, but he suspected he was going to get some bad news about it soon enough.<p>

All they needed tonight, however, was to lie beside each other and try to absorb the life-changing event that was peeking over the horizon.

"I never thought it would happen for me, either." Casey admitted in the dark. "But most of that was because I couldn't hold down a relationship. Recently, I threw myself into my role in Amelia's life. I figured with Ed and Liz, Marti and Simon, and Robbie that at some point I was going to be Auntie Casey. If I couldn't be a mom I'd be an aunt."

"Did you say Ed AND Liz?" Derek asked suddenly. "Like a couple…?"

Casey giggled. "What? No! That would be…"  
>Derek chuckled "Probably as disturbing to us as you and me having a child together will be to them."<p>

"You can tell them." Casey announced. "I'll stay away and you can phone me when it's over."  
>"No I think we might need the services of an ER doctor in the room when that one gets announced."<p>

They laughed softly together.

"We need to tell the family." Casey said. "And soon."  
>"Yeah." Derek agreed.<p>

"When?" Casey asked.

"What?"

"When shall we tell the family that you're alive and I'm…?"  
>"Up the spout?"<p>

"Der-ek!" Casey protested.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow. I want to lie here and talk about nice things like Mini-D."

"Mini what?"

"Mini-D. You know, like "Mini-me" only it's a mini version of Derek so "Mini-D""

Casey groaned.

"What? We have to nickname the bump something. Why not Mini-D?"

"It could be a Mini-C." Casey pointed out. "The baby does have _two_ parents, you know."

"I'm not calling it Mini-CD it sounds like a compact disc. Mini-D. Definitely."

"If I say "yes" to that will you go to sleep?"

"Yes."

"Good. Go to sleep then."

"Night."

"Night."

They kissed briefly and then turned to their normal sleeping positions.

After about five minutes Derek suddenly sat bolt upright in bed.

"Holy fuck!" he exclaimed loudly.

"What? What?" Casey sat up beside him, in shock.

"You're pregnant!" He announced.

Casey groaned and lay back down. "Really? I hadn't noticed." She said in a bored tone.

Derek also lay down but on his side this time, his head resting on his arm facing Casey.

"My swimmers must be really determined." He stated. "Kind of like SAS- sperm."

"Derek…"

In the dark, Casey rolled her eyes. She didn't really mind silly-Derek. It was better than angry "we'll deal with it" Derek who she was very relieved to learn didn't really exist.

He went on. "Infiltrating behind enemy lines. Black Ops. The little dude should get a medal or something."

"Go to sleep, Derek." She said wearily, but smiling. "Mini-D needs some rest."

And in the comfortable darkness of their little home, Derek smiled the biggest grin of all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm off to New York this week so probably not much in the way of updates. The laptop is coming with me though so who knows…<strong>

**This story will be less than ten chapters. Not entirely sure how many yet. I'm hoping to keep it to self-contained chapters like this one.**

Chapter 3 _should_ have Sam and Ruth's visit...

**HAPPY EASTER!**


	3. Fish Dish

**AN: A month of school and public holidays pays havoc with my writing schedule. Back on track now though. There are three more chapters I think.**

* * *

><p>"Are you going to be okay?" Derek asked, regarding Casey with a look of concern as they exited the car. "You look a bit pale."<p>

She shrugged. "I'll be fine now that we've put the timing back. Much as I want to spend lots of time with Sam and Ruth, meeting with them before eleven would just be asking for trouble."

Derek nodded, but the concern didn't leave his eyes. Casey paused before they crossed the street. She smiled.

"I'm okay, honestly. The queasiness never really leaves me, but at least the vomiting stops before lunch."

"Will you be able to eat or shall I look at trying to get us out of there before the food comes?"

Casey chuckled. He really was trying very hard to be a good father-to-be. Sometimes he tried almost a little too hard - verging on the over-protective.

"I'll be fine. I'll just stick with something plain like pizza. And remember, I'm the one "driving" so that you can have a drink."

Derek sighed as he took her hand to cross the street. "These guys know us better than we know ourselves." He commented. "If we manage to keep the secret for the duration of their stay I'll be very surprised."

All things considered, Sam and Ruth's family vacation to Ottawa had not been timed very well. Yes, Derek and Casey were still on sick leave and therefore free to spend time with their friends but that the visit coincided with what was Casey's eighth week of her pregnancy did not bode well.

Casey had morning sickness now and it was hard to hide it.

But Sam had held true to his promise that he would bring his family to see his best friends in their home city and the two best friends were so keen to catch up that neither had the heart to turn Sam away.

If they had all been staying under one roof the secret would definitely have been shared because hiding the crippling bouts of early morning vomiting would have been impossible. Ruth, however, had insisted that they stay in a reasonably priced hotel not far away and Casey had not tried to dissuade her.

* * *

><p>"Nervous?" asked Casey as she pulled open the door to the restaurant.<p>

"Should I be?" Derek asked, his eyes flashing to hers. "I mean obviously it's not just Sam but Ruth as well…"

Casey laughed. "She's lovely, Derek. She won't bite."

He frowned. "It's just…shit…She's Sam's wife! My best friend is married!"

She smiled. "It's worse than that. He's a father!"

Derek swallowed. "Thanks for your support."

"He's still Sam." She pointed out.  
>"I know…I just I miss the guy. I want to go back to seeing him regularly but if the two most important people in his life don't like me…" he let his thoughts trail away.<p>

"You'll be fine." She reassured him and stepped inside the building. "Besides, soon you'll have fatherhood in common too. You'll be glad of his help, I'm sure."

Two steps in something collided with Casey's legs. She frowned and looked down to find a tiny child dressed as "Ariel" clinging to her pants.

"Dasey!" The little girl squealed and Casey beamed and bent down to sweep her god-daughter into her arms.

"Amy!" She cooed back. "You came to see me!"

"Dasey." The little girl said softly and snuggled into her neck.

Derek watched his girlfriend with the little tot in her arms and had a rush of something warm and sappy about the future.

"Are you going to introduce me?" He asked, coughing first to remove the fluffiness.

"Of course! Amy, this is Derek. He's daddy's friend." She smiled at the expression on Derek's face. "And mine."

"Hello Amy." Derek said stroking a little pink cheek. "I've heard a lot about you."  
>Amy said nothing, because she was almost a year old and her vocabulary was limited to the names of the people and things around her. Her eyes widened though and she smiled timidly.<p>

Casey glanced across and spotted Sam and Ruth who were looking on indulgently from a nearby booth.

"Let's go see Mommy and Daddy." Casey suggested and still carrying her little bundle in mermaid's scales, she walked across the restaurant floor.

"Amy's walking?" Casey said in disbelief as soon as she reached her friend, without waiting for introductions. Ruth nodded.

"Since last week. She took her first step the night you came to us while Derek was in hospital and she hasn't looked back since."

"Wow! That's…frightening."

"Tell me about it. We've had to frantically move everything. It's ten times worse than when she started crawling."

Sam meanwhile was greeting Derek. It involved some convoluted handshake, a few "hey dudes!" and that back-slapping thing. It didn't go unmissed by either man that the man-hug was tighter and longer than would ever have been permitted when they were at school.

"Good trip?" Derek asked.

Sam nodded. "Amy slept all the way. Of course that means she was up all last night but, yeah, as flights go I've had worse."

"So are you going to introduce me?" Derek asked pointedly glancing towards the attractive woman who hovered next to them, chatting eagerly with Derek's girlfriend and her own little daughter. Their recent interactions had not allowed time for Derek to meet Ruth so he was still slightly nervous about it which was a new feeling for him. He'd never felt nervous about meeting a woman before: not even Nora. And definitely not Casey.

Sam waited for a pause in the excited conversation which was taking place between his wife and Casey. When they broke off their happy catching up, he curled an eyebrow and smiled.

"Ruth, this is Derek…my best friend. D, this is Ruth, my wife and I can't tell you how completely wrong it feels to be introducing you now. It should have happened five years ago."

All of them nodded sadly at the sentiment.

Breaking the spell, Ruth smiled broadly and held out her hand. "Hi Derek! I'd say I've heard a lot about you but I figure you already know that's a given."

Derek nodded. "Likewise. Casey is very fond of you and your little mermaid here." He grinned at the tiny girl and she beamed back at him. "Tell me." He said turning back to Ruth. "What witchcraft did Sam use on you? You're far too nice for him."  
>Sam snorted. "Forget it Venturi. Your charm won't work here."<p>

"Oh I don't know," Ruth winked at Derek. "I'm always looking for an upgrade."

Casey laughed. "Upgrade?"

Sam also laughed. "Plus it's a package deal, man. You take Ruth, you get the mermaid… How are you with diapers these days?"  
>They all chuckled as they took their seats and strapped Amy into her highchair, but not before Casey overheard Derek murmur "I guess we're going to find out" under his breath. She waited until he was sitting beside her and then squeezed his hand under the table.<p>

"So," Sam started, his eyes glancing over the menu and then back at his friends. "Obviously I know the whole story of how you're still sitting here not lying in a cemetery. I also know why you've been absent because Casey filled us in while you were in hospital, but I have to say that I'm still missing a huge chunk of the story."

"Really?" Derek said, sipping at his complementary glass of water. "What did she leave out?"  
>Sam glanced up. "The bit where hell froze over and you two hooked up." He said dramatically.<p>

Casey choked on her water.

"Sam!" protested Ruth. "You can't say that!"

"Funny. I thought I just did." He deadpanned.

Ruth huffed. "You get more like your father every day Samuel!"

He frowned. "Oh come on, honey. I've known these two for too long to think any other way. Derek I've known nearly all my life. The idea of him and his "accident by marriage" shacking up together is just…"

"Bizarre?" asked Casey.

"Wrong?" Derek asked, amused.

"Actually I was going to say poetic justice." Sam said with a broad grin. A ripple of laughter circled the group. "This is going to be one hell of a story." He decided. "Go on. I'm listening."  
>Casey grinned. "You know most of it." She said and sipped again at the water in front of her.<p>

"Oh? If you told me that night after I saw Derek at the hospital you're going to have to repeat it. I'd had a whiskey or two."

"More like three or four." Ruth pointed out. "I thought Casey and I were going to have to carry you to bed, slung between us like a scarecrow."  
>Sam pulled a face and Casey put her hand on top of his across the table.<p>

"I'd have done it willingly." She said. "You've done it often enough for me." (Which was true. Sam had – repeatedly – when Casey had started to drink heavily.)

Sam stared at her with concern. "But that's all over now, isn't it?" He asked. Casey nodded and Derek sighed to himself. He had a good idea just exactly what they were talking about. He was aware of the issues Casey had for a while in her past. She had shared some bad stories about the darkest times: dark times largely due to him.

They weren't issues anymore and her drinking days were over long before the fledgling bump announced itself in their lives. In fact, they were over as soon as he walked back into her life but Derek didn't think he would ever get used to the idea of Casey as a heavy drinker. He knew it had happened and he was glad she was out the other side, but it didn't sit easy with him.

Casey's voice cut across his musings.

"I didn't tell you that night." She reassured Sam. "But I didn't hide what was going on from you, at least not in the beginning. Derek is Mikey."

Sam nodded. "I was just beginning to figure that out. When did you find out?"

"When I first came to Ottawa, but Marti knew before me. Or rather she suspected. She encouraged me to come here, knowing that one way or another I'd flush out the truth."

"Why "Mikey"?" Sam asked Derek who shrugged.

"To start with I was reaching out towards home in a fit of…I don't know…loneliness. Does that sound lame?"

None of them nodded.

"Casey had sent me – the real me - a Facebook message – several actually and as is usual with Casey I got sucked into her ridiculousness." He grinned affectionately at his girlfriend who aimed a mock-punch at him.

"What he means to say is that my message reminded him of how much he missed me."  
>Sam laughed. "Forgive me for pointing this out but since when does Derek Venturi miss Casey McDonald?"<br>Derek smirked. "Honestly? The first time I ever missed Casey was the first night in dorms at college. I missed all of the family, but it was the noises from Casey's room at night that I missed the most."

Casey's eyes widened. He had never told her that before; not even in their most intimate moments.

"Noises?" Sam sounded intrigued. Derek had never said anything about Casey making nocturnal noises whilst they were at school. His mind started to run away with him until Casey cut across the conversation.  
>"So help me Derek, if you start saying I snore…" Casey warned.<p>

He laughed loudly and brushed her hair away from her face affectionately. "No, honey. You don't snore. Not since I got you those breathing strips at least."

"I don't wear _breathing strips_!" Casey objected. She didn't. But Derek couldn't help himself. It was something about having Sam sitting opposite them. It was just like the lunch hall at school.

"Ooops! Sorry. Our little secret!" Derek stage-whispered and pecked her on the cheek. (Like high school only different).

"I do not wear breathing strips!" She insisted her cheeks red with fury and embarrassment.

"It's okay. I understand, Casey. You don't want Sam to know."

"Der-ek!" Casey complained.

Sam laughed. "Now you see. That's what I expect to happen between them." He said to Ruth. "Duck and cover we could be in for a long one."

By the time the waiter had come, Casey was glaring at Derek and he was smirking back. It was just like old times – except that Derek knew if he kept it up he would hurt her and he had no intention of ever doing that again. He sat forward and took a sip of his drink and under the table his fingers found hers and pulled them to rest on his thigh. Casey met his eyes with her own and he saw the warmth again.

"We'd become close over Facebook, email etc. But I knew it couldn't continue so when the whole situation started to get painful, I decided to put a stop to it. I found out where she was staying and paid Casey a visit." He smiled gently at the mother of his unborn child. "The visit didn't go at all the way I planned it."

"Go on…" Sam pushed.

Casey chuckled. "I smacked him round the face."  
>Derek snorted. "Only after you'd already kissed me." He pointed out.<p>

"That was shock." She protested.

"It was shock_ing_! Nice but…you know."  
>"What do you mean <em>nice<em>? It was great."

"What?"  
>"It wasn't a "nice" kiss it was a "great" kiss." Casey withdrew her hand from his thigh and folded her arms.<p>

"…which was completely negated by the subsequent right hook." Derek stared back at her.

"You deserved it." She sniped.

"How?" Derek curled an eyebrow.

"You didn't tell me you were Mikey."

"You didn't know I _was_ Mikey when you hit me."

"I had my suspicions." Casey's voice faltered. The reality was she couldn't remember exactly what had been behind her decision to hit him. Unjustified grief?

"No you didn't." Derek objected. "ANYWAY," he cut across her protests. "I explained the situation and then left."  
>"Derek the chicken part 1" Casey muttered.<p>

Sam and Ruth exchanged confused looks. Casey elaborated.

"You'll notice a couple of recurring themes in this tale. Derek getting cold feet and running away from me is one of them."  
>"That's unfair especially since I was doing it to protect you."<br>"Protect me? Ha! That's a joke! As I recall it was me that helped you solve the Papillion case and it was me that saved your hide in that wretched bunker!"

Sam began to chuckle. Ruth frowned.

"I thought these two were supposed to be a couple."  
>Sam laughed. "Clearly they are. The question is a couple of what?"<p>

Casey turned to glare at Sam but Derek smirked, so Casey glared at him instead.

"I guess it took me a while to win her over." Derek said turning back to the glass of water in front of him.

"Pah! You got that one backward." Casey pointed out. "Like I said. You kept running away from me…until I whacked the big guy over the head."  
>"Not your finest hour."<br>"It saved your butt."  
>"He was over three hundred pound and you hit him with a frying pan. It was like…"<br>"David tackling Goliath, I know."

"I was going to say Fay Wray hitting King Kong with her designer handbag."

The conversation between Casey and Derek went on for a while. The waiter came with beers and took their orders and still the banter continued. Ruth looked at Sam. "Do you understand any of this?"

"No."  
>"Good. Just so long as I'm not the only one."<p>

Eventually, Casey realised Sam had caught none of the Derek and Casey story except the fact that they still argued like teenagers. She put a hand up to stop Derek and turned to Sam.

"I came to Ottawa to clear my head. Derek appeared and told me some of the truth of the situation. He wanted to disappear again but fate had other ideas. Instead I ended up helping him out with his case and then staying. The rest as they say is history."  
>Ruth smiled. "Sweet and to the point." She said. "But I think I like the other version just as much."<p>

Derek grinned at his best friend's wife, and Casey knew they were going to be good friends too.

* * *

><p>It would have been easy for Sam and Ruth to assume that the fighting between Derek and Casey was a bad sign. So far they had argued as much as Sam was used to from their school days. But the husband and wife were not fooled. For a start the pair in front of them was sitting very close to each other and was usually touching. Then there was the way their eyes sparkled whenever their gazes met.<p>

Finally, there was the fact that the intensity of the arguments meant they were completely wrapped up in each other – almost to the exclusion of the people around them.

After Casey's brief summary of her reunion with Derek, the latter was quiet. Arguments with Casey were fun so long as they both knew they weren't serious. His amusement at her reactions was carefully orchestrated not to upset her too much and he was good at reading every single signal from her body language. He had always been good at reading Casey, but he had to be especially careful right now. The new hormones running through her had altered the game. It was as though someone had changed the rules while he wasn't looking: Casey was more sensitive in many ways.

Yet, whilst that put a limit on his teasing and retaliation, it wasn't the only motive for his silence. He had known Casey a long time. They were comfortable in each other's company. It was inevitable that there were times that he would take her for granted. He knew he did.

But, just when the comfort between them had grown to such an extent that it became trite the light would catch her face in a certain way or she would smile his favourite smile and he was awe-struck again: astounded that she wanted _him._ The frequency and depth of these moments had only increased when they had discovered her pregnancy.

Derek Venturi was a lucky man and he knew it. He wanted Casey to know that he knew it too.

When the waiter brought their food, Derek took advantage of the distraction to catch Casey's form in his curved arm, and kiss her softly.

"I love you." He murmured nuzzling the space behind her ear.

Blushing Casey smiled back. "I love you too." She replied returning the kiss.

They didn't notice Sam and Ruth watching them, transfixed.

* * *

><p>About the same time that their food was delivered, the low hum of the restaurant and its clientele was interrupted by a loud, tinny fanfare.<p>

"What's that?" asked Sam, surprised.

The waiter had just placed Sam's food in front of him.

"That's the "Swordfish Special"." The employee replied. "Someone has ordered our special Swordfish Special Platter. "When we bring it to the table we sound the swordfish fanfare so that everyone knows and then we pipe it in."

"Pipe?" Derek asked cautiously.

At that moment, from somewhere across the restaurant came the canned sound of a bagpipe.

"Oh." said Sam. "How…erm…nice."

The two women in their party however had gone quiet, but their partners had not noticed. They were watching the procession delivering the steaming platter to a table a few feet away from them: a procession of three waiting staff which carried respectively the platter, the side dishes and two small vase-like containers sporting a collection of lit sparklers and indoor fireworks.

"Wow!" Derek said. "All that for a _fish_!"

He turned to look at Casey and then he frowned.

Her eyes were panicked, her skin tone wrong and her hand was pressed to her mouth.

Which is when Derek noticed the smell. The smell of freshly cooked swordfish.

"Move!" Casey hissed through her hand and gritted teeth. Derek flew out of the booth and stood to one side as his girlfriend sprinted for the ladies room.

* * *

><p>Casey hadn't known that one of the restaurant's specialities was swordfish. If she had done she wouldn't have allowed them to pick this venue. Casey liked fish as much as anyone.<p>

Unfortunately Bump did not.

The waiter informing them about the seafood platter never really registered with her, until the smell of sizzling fish hit her hormonally-enhanced olfactory system. i.e. her nose. The bile rose immediately.

After she had clambered past Derek and made for the facilities, she had tunnel vision for her destination. She ran through the tables, thumping the door with the frosted glass panel with the same urgency as she had done one day many moons ago in the hospital.

To her relief, the bathroom was empty so she picked the nearest stall, slammed the door shut behind her and began the process of heaving.

It didn't take long. She had eaten only a dry slice of toast for "breakfast" and drunk only a cup of rooibos tea so there was little for her body to reject.

As the heaving died away she became aware of her surroundings. Firstly, she registered the fact that she wasn't the only one in the bathroom now, and secondly, the person in the other stall was also vomiting.

After several minutes, satisfied that she was no longer going to disgrace herself, Casey flushed the toilet and left the stall. She crossed the floor to the sinks and began to inspect herself in the mirror. She looked pale, slightly washed out but otherwise her make-up and appearance were little changed. She washed her mouth around and straightened her clothes.

Casey was just about to leave the room when the door to the other stall opened. Casey stared in disbelief as Ruth emerged looking like a mirror image of Casey.

The two women stopped in their tracks and regarded each other in shock.

Then they both began to laugh.

Ruth spoke first.

"With Amy" she said "It was the smell of gasoline. I had to send Sam to fill up the car every time I ran low. And I couldn't go with him. I once vomited in their little red sand bucket and another time in a bucket of cut flowers. Of course they were very understanding once I explained." She rubbed her still-flat tummy affectionately. "Clearly this one is different."

Casey nodded. "I should have known Bump doesn't like fish." _She_ admitted rubbing her own stomach. "I tried a tuna fish salad the other day. I was trying to be good, you know, plenty of oily fish and all that. Tasted okay on the way down not so hot later."

They grinned. Casey went on. "And why does no one tell you that ginger cookies may make you feel less nauseous but if you're going to be sick you're going to be sick and ginger tastes _foul_ second time around?"

"How many weeks?" Ruth asked.

"Eight." Casey said. "You?"

"Seven. I didn't know I was pregnant until last week."

"I've known I was for a while, before I even took the test."

Ruth smiled. "Is Derek okay about it?"  
>Casey laughed. "He thinks he's superman."<p>

They giggled.

"Planned?" Ruth asked. Casey rolled her eyes.

"Do you think Derek and I planned any of this?" She asked. "No. Not falling in love, not living together and definitely not the mini-me which is on its way. Ironic given that I live for order and a schedule."

"Are you happy?" Casey's friend asked.

Casey beamed. "I have everything I have ever wanted in my life." She said. "How can I not be ecstatic? Although I will be glad to see a view other than the rear of the toilet pan first thing in the morning." She giggled.

"Me too. Have you told your parents?"  
>"About the baby? No. I think we have bigger news first. Wow! I never thought I would ever say there was bigger news than my pregnancy!"<p>

"Sounds like the McDonald-Venturis have a bit of a shock coming."

"Yeah! "Hi Mom! Guess what? Derek's still alive, we live together and by the way he's knocked me up!" What a conversation that one is going to be!"

"Well Sam and I are here if you need us."

"Thanks Ruth. We appreciate that."

"Ooo! I'm so excited! We get to do the whole pregnancy thing together this time!"

"We did it together last time. I was there looking after you." Casey pointed out. She had delivered Amelia after all.

"Yes, but it will mean so much more this time. This time I get to see you hold your baby at the end too. I missed that for you last time."

"I love Amelia as if she was my own, Ruth." Casey persisted.

"I know. I will love your little one like my own too. Maybe our children will grow up to be best friends like their fathers." Ruth wondered.  
>Casey smiled, her eyes filling with unshed tears and a lump coming to her throat.<p>

"Derek and Sam would love that." She agreed.

"Talking of whom…"

"Yes. We should go back. I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

* * *

><p>Derek stood up as Casey approached and took her into his arms.<p>

"Bad?" he asked. Casey glanced at Ruth.

"I had company." She said. "It wasn't so bad."  
>"Company?" Derek queried.<p>

Casey raised an eyebrow in question to Ruth. She nodded and then spoke.

"Casey and I are suffering from the same condition right now." She explained.

Derek frowned. "Suffering from…? But Casey's…"

"Yes I know." Ruth said. "So am I."

Derek's eyes widened. "Wow! Congratulations! That's fantastic news! How many weeks?" (Because Derek has recently become an expert in these things.)

"Seven."

Derek nodded. "We're eight weeks." He told her. "So that will be early spring."

Sam looked confused. "Am I missing something?" he asked, bewildered.

Casey, Derek and Ruth smiled indulgently at him.

"Let's just say you aren't the only stud in the room anymore, hotshot." Ruth said. Derek laughed.

"What?" Sam was still confused.

Casey smiled softly and placed a hand on his. "What these two are trying to tell you is that I'm pregnant, Sam. Derek's going to be a father just like you."

Sam began to laugh hysterically. "Best freaking prank ever!"

* * *

><p>"That was nice." Casey said, slipping off her shoes gratefully and flopping onto the couch. It was late – dark outside- and they had only just left Sam and his family after a full afternoon and evening of sightseeing.<p>

Derek joined her and pulled her into his lap.

"Yeah. It was. Especially after we all quit keeping secrets."  
>"Poor Sam." Casey said remembering the conversation early on in the day. "He didn't know whether to hit you or hug you."<br>"I'm sure he still thinks it's a prank."

"Me too."  
>Derek kissed her head. "I don't blame the guy though. Sometimes I wake up and wonder if I'm dreaming. I keep thinking I'm in Vancouver in that hideous apartment waiting for an asshole that never showed. I don't get what I did that led me back to you. I don't get that you want me and I certainly don't get what I did so right that I earned Bump." His hands rubbed her belly gently. "I understand why Dad was so sappy after Robbie's birth now." He kissed her softly. "I'm so proud of you."<br>"I'm proud of you too. I'm proud of how you never forgot your family. I'm proud of how you stayed on track even when you lost everything. And I'm proud of the way you've taken our news. You're going to be a father soon and I know you're going to be the best I could ever have picked even if I had planned it all."

"You're not so bad yourself."

They kissed again.

"Let's go to bed." Derek suggested and then when she hesitated. "Relax! Your virtue is safe."

"What virtue? I'm pregnant!"

They made their way to the bedroom in the dark.

"Ruth was asking about us telling the 'rents." Casey noted.

"Oh."

"Yeah…oh."  
>Derek sighed. "Soon. I promise. Let's just enjoy the peace for a few more days first."<p>

"We are on a deadline, here."

"I know. I know. I just want to have a few more answers to give them."

"Answers to what?" Casey's voice queried.  
>"Their questions. Because there will be lots of questions."<br>"So what sort of answers were you hoping to give them?" Casey asked.

"You'll see." Derek said cryptically. "You'll see."


	4. Questions Part One

**AN: My apologies for turning Derek into a love-sick fool at the beginning of this chapter. He redeems himself eventually, I promise!**

Another day, another restaurant.

And Derek was confident she wouldn't be sick…hopefully.

It had been a further three weeks since Sam's visit and whilst it was a long time to still keep the family in the dark the end was in sight. The very week that Sam had visited, George had contacted Casey and suggested the family visit Ottawa later in the month. At Derek's suggestion, Casey had acquiesced. It seemed only logical that their visit would be the best time to let the family in on the myriad of secrets, so in a week's time the entire McDonald-Venturi clan were coming to see Casey. What they didn't know was they would be seeing rather more than that.

But that was a week from now. Derek still had to deal with the here and that "now". He had to get the answers to his questions.

Or rather one question in particular.

In the pursuit of that elusive answer he had picked their favourite restaurant, the lowly Italian that Casey's former boss had spoken about so disparagingly. Derek chose it because it was reasonably close to home, he knew exactly what was on the menu and he knew Casey would be comfortable there: the morning sickness was easing although she was tired in the evenings.

To prepare for tonight Casey had been persuaded to take an afternoon nap. She had needed it because they had spent the morning searching for a dress for her to wear to said restaurant. Derek, in his new-found sappiness, wanted everything to be perfect.

The nap had also served to have a secondary purpose. It meant Casey didn't notice when he slipped away from their apartment to make an early visit to the restaurant.

* * *

><p>The owner, Graham, greeted him at the back entrance to the premises with a smile.<p>

"Hi Derek! Are you ready for this?" He asked as he led him into the kitchens. The place was deserted because it was some time until the restaurant opened.

Derek shrugged. "Yeah…I guess." He grinned. "I mean I'm ready for what it means I just wish I didn't have to go through the traditional torture bit first! Why do we have to make a song and dance over a simple question?"

Graham laughed. "Welcome to the life of a married man. Nothing we ever do is for us anymore. It's all about what _she_ wants."

"If I could only guarantee that you were right and that my status was already decided I'd be a lot happier but this is Casey we are talking about. She's…fickle."

Graham shook his head. "Not where you are concerned she isn't. Besides, everything changes when there is a _bambino_ involved."  
>"<em>If<em> she says "yes" tonight I'd rather she was marrying me for me and not just because I knocked her up." Derek pointed out, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

Graham shook his head. "She'll say "yes" and it will be for the right reasons. I know you two. I see you together. You are destined to be together."  
>Derek snorted. "Ha ha. You make it sound like we sit and hold hands and gaze into each other's eyes deeply over dinner. We spend most of the time we're in here bickering about the phone bill or something."<br>Graham snorted. "Exactly! There's nothing fake about you. And you do have those moments. Some times the sparks fly so much I tell the waiting staff to keep a bucket of water handy."

"You're full of shit, Graham." Derek chuckled. "I like you but you're still full of shit."

"Hey! Don't forget, today I'm your best friend." Graham said wiggling his eyes. "Now. Are you ready to see it?"

"Sure."

The two men crossed to a special refrigerator in a corner of the kitchen. Unlike the other large fridges, this one had a combination dial lock on the door.

"I thought we'd keep it in here." Graham said. "Some of the ingredients we use in the restaurant– truffles and such – they are worth a lot of money. I don't want my stock going missing so this is basically a safe with a thermostat. There's a compartment for the stuff we don't want to get damp and a part for the rest. I thought we could put your bit in the dry part, and _this_ is my bit."

He produced a plate with a domed lid and carefully removed the latter.

Inside was a small, delicately crafted jewellery box made of crisp, dark chocolate. The sides were covered in climbing roses piped with liquid chocolate and its lid was propped open. Nestling under the lid, Derek could see a small pillow of marshmallow. On the lid the sculptor had entwined the initials C and D.

"Wow!" Derek exclaimed. "That's just…"

"Too much? A bit too romantic?"

Derek laughed. "There's no such thing when it comes to Casey." He informed Graham. "This is a girl who went to prom in a Cinderella dress."

Graham laughed. "I've shown you mine, now you show me yours." He said placing the plate carefully on a table nearby. Derek smiled and reaching into his pocket removed the small box.

The small box containing the pink diamond ring.

* * *

><p>Marti was also in a restaurant but this one was much closer to home. It wasn't as expensive but the discussion going on across the table was equally important.<p>

"Ed I know you. There's a girl in it."

"What?" Edwin's eyes jerked up guiltily.

"Come on. Since when have you been one to turn down a free trip?"

"I have plans." Edwin tried. "Firm plans."

"I'll bet." Marti snorted.

Edwin glared at her.

"Oh stop it with the stink eye! You look like you trapped something vital in your zipper."

Her brother's jaw dropped. "You can't…go there, Martha!"

"I just did Ed. Look, Dad wants us all to go to Ottawa _as a family_. He thinks we need to visit with Casey and show her our support for her decision to move there."  
>"Her decision to shack up with Mikey you mean."<p>

"Edwin! Be nice."

"Smarts, I care about Casey, I do…honest. It's just, I really have got stuff to do. You see…" he huffed. "Okay, you were right, there's this girl…"  
>Marti smirked into her drink. "Told you…"<p>

"It's just, it's new and I wanted to spend time with her and…"  
>Marti sighed and pulled out the trump card. "Edwin just bring Lizzie with you. The three-line party whip includes her too. She needs to be there as well so you might as well right off your little dirty weekend idea." She paused. "I know. Why don't you relocate it to Ottawa? It's a big hotel, Dad and Nora would never know if you shared a room."<p>

"What?" Edwin was aghast.  
>This time Marti looked bored. "Unlike the rest of our family I pay attention Ed. It's partly why I wear such distracting clothing. People are so busy looking at what I'm wearing they forget to pay attention to what I'm up to. I'm not stupid. I've seen the way you and Lizzie look at each other. It was only a matter of time…" She smirked to herself. <em>Rather like Casey and Derek.<em>

"You're not going to tell dad are you?"

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"It's just…well, she _is _technically my step-sister."  
>Marti waved a hand in the air. "Oh…that!" She said dismissively. "Really, that's so passé!"<p>

"Passe? Seriously?"  
>"Yeah. You got beat to the punch again Ed."<p>

"Sorry you lost me."

His sister grinned but didn't tell him. "Come to Ottawa Ed. You'll find it very…enlightening and Casey needs our support."

* * *

><p>"You look…" Derek was really lost for words.<p>

Casey's new dress hugged her figure, flattered her newly-enhanced curves and made him ache with something half-way between disbelief and desire: the disbelief coming from the knowledge that she was his.

"Pregnant, Derek." Casey replied dryly. "Come on. You can say it."  
>"You can't see Bump yet." He protested. "No one would know."<p>

She snorted softly. "My hair has turned into straw, my breasts look like overfilled water balloons, I've started walking funny even though I've lost weight not gained it and I keep catching myself rubbing my stomach in a maternal manner."  
>"I never noticed." Derek lied. Watching Casey surreptitiously stroking the place where their baby grew was one of the best things Derek had ever seen: it drew him to her in a magnetic way that no erotic piece of lingerie ever could. It was something to do with the knowledge that this remarkable woman was carrying his child; a little person he had placed inside her…<p>

Derek caught himself in his musings but for once didn't rein himself in. Tonight was special: it was about their relationship, their love for each other and the growing spark of a baby that was beginning to flame inside her. Today of all days he was allowed to be a pussy-whipped fool.

He took her hand and led her from their apartment.

"You take my breath away." He said quietly in awe.

Despite herself and her slightly (post-nap) grouchy mood, Casey smiled to herself.

"You look nice too." She said looking him up and down.

Casey admitted to herself that she felt a flash of something which had been missing for a few weeks – it's hard to summon up thoughts of sex when your head is almost permanently over the toilet. She was nearly at the end of her first trimester and entering into a new phase of her pregnancy. Casey hoped that the heat Derek's new attire sparked within her was a sign that she would soon regain that side of their relationship. She'd missed it. A lot.

They reached the restaurant quickly and Graham greeted them at the door with menus and a reassurance that their favourite table was available. It was tucked away in the corner of the restaurant: quiet and secluded. They liked it because it always suited their mood. It provided a private place to get lost in each other on a good day and somewhere to thrash over their latest pet peeve without drawing attention on days that were less…amiable.

As if thinking of that, Casey grinned.

"What shall we argue about today?" She asked squeezing Derek's hand.

"I don't know. You choose. It's your turn." Derek quipped in return and then when they had both chuckled about that, he raised their joined hands and kissed her fingers before guiding her into her seat.

The candlelight softened their faces, rolling back the years as the dim light made it harder to see the creases at their eyes and round their mouths. They weren't _old_ they were just more experienced, but tonight neither of them noticed.

Derek held Casey's hand across the table.

"I love you." He said quietly and noted the sudden glisten which appeared in Casey's eyes. He'd have put it down to pregnancy hormones but this was Casey. She got dewy eyed over soap commercials. It didn't stop him loving that she reacted like that for him though.

"I love you too." She said confidently. "So much."

He chuckled. "Through good times and bad times?" He asked.

"Hey I've done the bad times, I think we deserve the good times now." She pointed out. Derek nodded.

"Me too."

There was a pause whilst they both pretended to choose from the menu. It was pointless. They always made the same choices and Graham knew this. He took their order himself and promised he would be right back with the drinks. Derek and Casey watched each other across the table.

"Talking of bad times, how do you think it will go?" Casey asked nervously.

Derek frowned, his mind firmly on what he was about to do.

"Sorry?" He asked distractedly.

"I said how do you think it will go when the family come to visit? Clearly they are going to be cross with us."

Derek shrugged. He wasn't letting himself think that far ahead yet, tonight was still very much the priority.

"They'll be cross with me, not you." He reasoned. "It was me that forbid you to tell them."

He smiled reassuringly and then let his eyes roam over the restaurant behind her.

It was busy as always on a Saturday night. There were families eating at the larger tables, a couple of very large groups – one with balloons on the table proclaiming "Just Divorced!"

The irony made him chuckle.

He saw the waiting staff beating well-worn paths between the tables, the bar area and the kitchen. He recognised the barman and knew he was a distant cousin of Graham's.

As his eyes scanned the larger room beyond their darkened corner, a party of four men came through the main door. Derek initially barely noticed them but something made his eyes dart back even as he considered turning them to Casey.

He frowned.

"What?" Casey said and he marvelled yet again at how quickly she read him and his mannerisms.

Derek shook his head slightly and when she opened her mouth to protest he raised a finger to forestall her. He casually ran his eye over the group again wondering what it was that made him uneasy.

Because he did feel uneasy: a trickle of fear running down his spine. Of course with someone like Derek, doing the job he did, it was a constructive fear. Rather like a long fuse trail of gunpowder it served only to trigger his response not to disable him. But the instinctive reaction was out of place in this respectable restaurant. This was not a dark alleyway or a warehouse rooftop, but his body was telling him it was equally dangerous.

Why?

And then he saw it. The cut of the jacket of one of the men was failing to hide the distinctive – to Derek's eyes- shape of a firearm. He turned his attention to the other men, and the trickle of cold became a rousing bucket as he spotted the carefully, but not fully, concealed shapes under the clothing of the other three men.

They could of course be law enforcement, but Derek doubted it. Despite what you see on the TV it was a rare event for his fellow officers to go into a restaurant fully armed like that unless there was an operation going down. Besides, Derek was very good at spotting LEOs, even those undercover. These guys weren't brother officers and as he spotted the appraising glances the men were giving the restaurant patrons, Derek realise they were potentially the complete opposite.

Something was about to go down. The question was what?

"Derek?" Casey prompted.

He turned his eyes back to his girlfriend. Casey's eyes widened as she took in the expression on his face. Gone was the amusement and happiness from seconds previously.

"I want you to grab your purse and go out through the kitchens." He said quietly.

Casey looked at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"Princess, please don't argue with me. Something's about to go down and I don't want you in here when it does. Go. Get out and phone Spike."

Casey hesitated and he knew she was going to argue.

"What are you going to do?"  
>He shrugged. "That depends on what happens." He replied.<p>

"Derek I'm not leaving you." She protested. "You're not armed." The thought of leaving him in a dangerous situation was impossible – completely impossible.

"This is my job Casey." He said. "And yours is to protect our baby. Now take your purse and go."

Their eyes locked for a moment and then Casey sighed. The moment he mentioned the baby, her will failed. It wasn't that the baby was more important that the man before her, just that she knew that Derek could take care of himself. Their baby couldn't. He was protecting both of them by getting her out of there. Protecting their future child however was her responsibility.

"I love you." She said taking her purse and pressing her hand over his. Derek lifted it and kissed her fingers.

"I love you too; more than anything in the world. Please sweetheart, go." He whispered.

Casey slipped from the seat, kissed him softly and headed for the kitchens.

Graham was surprised to see her entering his private territory.

"Casey? Is something wrong?" He asked, visibly stunned. What was she doing back there?  
>"I don't know." She said honestly. "Derek thinks there's trouble out front. You should get your staff to safety and get out."<br>Graham paled. "But…? My guests!" He started towards the door to the restaurant, but Casey caught his arm whilst shaking her head.

"Let Derek handle it. He's good at this sort of thing. Just…" She broke off as there was a shriek from the restaurant. Without stopping to finish her sentence, Casey ran towards the back door of the restaurant. Derek was right. She had a job to do too.

* * *

><p>Derek allowed himself to relax very slightly when Casey disappeared through the swing doors to the kitchen. The protective instinct was great within him when it came to Casey. Since the pregnancy began his molly-coddling had only got worse. Derek didn't blame himself though. It was an inevitable part of being a father.<p>

He hoped she would be able to get away safely. The four men had been shown to a table near the door in the short time since they had arrived, but they looked edgy as though they were waiting for something.

A dozen scenarios flitted through his mind as he waited. Where they here for a hit?

He ruled that out. Hits rarely involve four gunmen and there were no potential targets in the restaurant. It was all families and groups. He briefly wondered if _he_ was the target and was visited by that same sense of frustration that he had been living with for eight years. For the past couple of weeks that feeling had begun to fade but now it came back with a vengeance.

The corner of the restaurant where Derek was lay somewhat hidden from view as one entered the restaurant and the table where the men had been seated was also near the front of the large dining room.

Hence why Casey's departure seconds ago had not been spotted.

Hence why Derek's interest in the proceedings had not yet drawn attention.

It would only be a matter of time, however, and Derek took advantage of the calm before the storm and slipped under the table and out of sight completely. His vision was largely cut off, but there was nothing wrong with his hearing.

It was the screech that alerted him to the start of the showdown.

Unseen by Derek, the tallest, biggest of the quartet had left his seat and sprung up onto a nearby table. The seats pulled up to that table were currently occupied by a young couple and it was the young woman who shrieked at the appearance of the man on the table in front of her. Her shock came from his sudden movement, but the fear didn't leave her face as she saw the gun he was now brandishing in his left hand.

"Kill the music!" He ordered in a heavy Quebec accent as his companions also stood and spread themselves around the room. The music stopped and their guns were now visible.

"No one moves and no one get hurt." The table-hopper proclaimed and then smiled. "This, ladies and gentlefolk, is a robbery."

And Derek relaxed.

…well sort of. A robbery was still a serious thing, but at least he knew they weren't here for him specifically. It meant they didn't know there was a cop in the place. Anything that gave him the upper hand was good. That would do for a start.

"Mr Bump? The kitchen safe please…" The man on the table ordered.

"Sure thing, Mr Mischief." Mr Bump replied and started for the kitchen.

"Mr Greedy, the cash register please." Mr Mischief ordered.

"On it." Mr Greedy replied.

"And Mr Nosey? The collection plate please." Mr Nosey produced a canvas sack and waved it at his boss.

Derek was momentarily distracted by the fact that the robbers had clearly named themselves after children's characters, until his mind caught up with the "kitchen safe" comment. His eyes widened as he remembered Casey's ring and he knew where his plan of action needed to begin.

"Mr Nosey will be passing amongst you good people shortly. I would encourage you to open your wallets, pockets and purses and give generously. Failure to do so will be quite unpleasant. Mr Nosey is very good at searching people and punishment for non-cooperation will be severe." Mr Mischief scratched his nose with his gun as Mr Nosey began to circulate, his hands both holding the bag wide even though his right hand already contained his gun.

In the sudden silence of the restaurant Derek picked up the movement, he also picked up the insistence of the other robber, Mr Greedy as he ordered the bar staff to empty the cash registers into a similar canvas bag to the one Mr Nosey carried.

And then Derek's attention was drawn to the approach of Mr Bump as he made his way to the kitchen area.

Derek held his breath willing the guy to walk past without seeing him.

Mr Bump was not a particularly observant person, but the main reason why he didn't spot Derek as he passed the table under which the latter was hiding was the dim lighting and his own confidence that everyone in the restaurant was currently too in shock to react.

Derek peeked out from under the tablecloth and watched as Mr Bump neared the door. As soon as he was past Derek's table, Derek slid out from under the heavy white cotton and into the shadows, his emergence hidden from the other robbers by their positioning in the room.

Mr Bump pushed open the kitchen door, stepped into the sudden bright service lighting and the door swung closed behind him.

As Derek followed him, hyper aware of every sound in the building, he heard a soft thump of something falling.

He remained crouched low as he neared the door and rather than thumping it open as Mr Bump had, Derek eased it open a fraction so that he could peek inside. His vision was blocked by something dark and soft, and then the obstruction was gone and Derek eased the door wider and looked up into the amused face of Graham.

Eyes widening, Derek pushed the door quickly open and slipped inside.

Four burly chefs and sous chefs were standing in a group looking down on a crumpled form at their feet. Graham was holding a cast iron skillet and he looked triumphant.

Derek let the door close behind him and stood up.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"I knocked him out." Graham explained equally quietly.

Derek frowned briefly. "Have you been taking tips from Casey?" He asked.

Graham shook his head. "What's going on out there?"  
>"Robbery." Derek said. "You need to dispose of sleeping beauty and I need to go back in and deal with the other three. Quickly! Mr Mischief may send in one of the other two Mr Men to check on Mr Bump."<br>"What?"

"They're using Mr Men nicknames." Derek explained. "This is Mr Bump. The guy in charge is Mr Mischief, and the two other goons are Mr Greedy and Mr Nosey."

Graham sighed. "See themselves as Reservoir Dogs do they?"  
>"More like Reservoir Puppies." Derek said. "Wait!" he added quickly and crossed to where the chefs were now dragging the trussed up robber toward the walk-in freezer.<p>

"Where's his gun?"

One of the sous chefs passed it to Derek who checked the chambers and slipped it into the waistband at the small of his back.

"Did Casey get out?" Derek asked. Graham nodded.

"Good. I'm going back in there. I suggest you watch the door again in case someone else comes in."

Graham nodded and then put a hand on Derek's. "Wait. There's another way back into the restaurant." He told his friend. "It will bring you out in the bar area."

Derek nodded and let Graham show him the way to his office.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This was going to be a very long chapter if I left it all in one go – and it would probably have taken another two weeks to get to you. At least it means there are still two more chapters to go!<strong>

**I'm trying my best here! RL is so complicated!**


	5. Part Two THE Question

Three against one. Not the best of odds.

Derek sat back on his haunches away from the crack in the door between Graham's office and the bar area of the restaurant. The problem was that all three bad guys were visible to each other. If he tried to take one down the other two would be on him like…well like one of those off-colour phrases he used to use rather a lot before Casey rolled back into his life.

Casey.

He took a deep breath and wondered where his possible-future-wife was and what she was up to. He hoped that common sense and not Casey-sense would prevail. (Casey-sense was like common sense but with a creative flair which was regardless of danger.)

He took a second deep breath and decided to wait. Sometimes when you can't decide a course of action a course of _in_-action is the better course.

If you know what Derek means.

Mr Nosey was making his way around the restaurant gathering valuables from the frightened clientele. There were several tables with people quietly sobbing which Derek hated, but by far the most concerning sobs were the soft ones of the handful of children in the room. The awareness of those younger victims was the reason Derek was not implementing a rash plan right now. He would not, could not put kids at risk. He never had been able to and it was a greater degree of impossible now that he was about to be a father.

But he needed to do something to make these children safe. And soon.

The clock ticked. Mr Mischief smirked and his stance was relaxed: on the table surveying his men's handiwork. His eyes were keen, however, and watchful. They took in the whole scene and Derek knew that the guy would spot any movement at all.

As if to illustrate this, there was a rather antiquated _ching!_ from the reproduction cash register on the bar as Mr Greedy helped himself to the cash there. Mr Mischief's eyes flicked immediately to the bar area and then, when he had relaxed again, they flicked upwards to the clock on the bar wall.

Mr Mischief frowned and, hidden in Graham's office, it made Derek frown too.

_What was Mr Mischief concerned about?_ Derek pondered.

He received his answer a second later when Mr Mischief flicked his eyes nervously towards the corner where the entrance to the kitchens was located. Clearly he was surprised by the length of time it was taking Mr Bump to come back.

Derek tried to use the adrenaline that his additional knowledge sparked to fuel his thought processes. If something was about to kick off, he wanted to be in the right position to take full advantage of it.

* * *

><p>"Hi Case! What's up?" Jazz asked, noting the caller id on his cell phone. The voice at the other end garbled something unintelligible.<p>

"Whoa! Slow down!" Derek's friend said removing his feet from his desk and sitting up suddenly.

Casey took a deep breath leaned up against the wall of the alleyway and explained.

"I need you to send units to Graham's." She said quickly, knowing that Jazz and Bea frequented the restaurant too and would know where she meant. "There's a robbery in progress and Derek is inside unarmed."

Jazz's eyes widened. "One sec!" he called down the phone and turned to the rest of the office. Covering the mouthpiece, he barked instructions at one of the guys at a nearby desk and the guy concerned lifted his desk phone and immediately started talking. Across the other side of the room, once stationary agents were now on their feet slinging on weapons, grabbing jackets and making for the door.

"Where are you?" Jazz asked once again talking into the phone.

"Across the street in an alley." Casey answered. "I needed to be out of the way but I wanted to keep an eye on what's going on." Her voice wavered slightly but she was calmer now knowing that Jazz would handle it.  
>"Great. We're on our way. Stay on the line and tell me everything you can about the perps."<p>

Casey nodded to herself.

"Four guys, all armed…" she began and then began to describe the men concerned as well as she could given she had seen little more than a glimpse of them. Jazz meanwhile grabbed his own jacket and gun and, his cell still pressed against his ear, made his own way out of the office.

* * *

><p>Mr Mischief glanced around the room. Mr Bump had still not emerged from the kitchen area, Mr Nosey was still passing round the collecting plate and Mr Greedy was scooping coins from the register into his own collection sack. The leader was quietly berating himself for not having a fifth member of the team. He should have had someone to cover the rear entrance. Not doing so was a rookie mistake. He wasn't a rookie.<p>

"Nosey!" Mr Mischief hissed. His colleague looked up. So did Mr Greedy.

Derek tensed.

"Bring the bag over here." Mr Mischief ordered. Only half the room had been swept and, confused at the change in plan, Mr Nosey complied.

The two men stood together for a few seconds and hissed at each other in low voices Derek could not understand. In the end, Mr Nosey thrust the bag at his boss, steadied the grip on his gun and moved towards the kitchen door.

Derek's mind was racing. He knew…correction…hoped he knew that Graham and his staff would be waiting for Mr Nosey as soon as he stepped through the kitchen doors. Mr Nosey _should_ fall the same way Mr Bump fell. The difference was that this time Mr Mischief's attention was focussed on that area of the restaurant. The place was deathly silent right now so the chances of him not hearing Mr Nosey's fate were extremely remote.

Derek had seconds before all hell broke loose. He had to be prepared.

But, prepared for what?

Well, obviously the intention was to deal with each of the robbers one by one, and as quickly as he could before any hostages were taken. One robber was gone and hopefully another would be as soon as he entered the kitchen. That left two robbers. Derek could attack the robber closest to him, Mr Greedy, but he wouldn't want to wind up with Mr Mischief sticking a gun in his face immediately afterwards. His only hope was if Mr Mischief was distracted whilst Derek took Mr Greedy down.

The only possible distraction was the commotion which would follow Mr Nosey's entrance into the kitchen.

Derek braced himself.

* * *

><p>"I'm going closer." Casey announced into her phone. "I want to see what I can spot through the windows.<p>

"Like fuck you are, McDonald!" Jazz snorted, smacking his driver on the arm and motioning for him to drive faster. "I need you and Venturi junior safe. If Derek thinks you're putting yourself and the baby in danger and I'm letting you he'll string me up by the balls."

"I'm not leaving _him_ in danger, Jazz!"

"He's not in danger. He's in a situation he's trained for, long and hard. He's been in places like this before. The only thing that can mess things up for him is if someone throws a personal curve ball into the game. Like his child's mother's face suddenly appearing pressed up against the window of the restaurant. Back off, Casey."  
>"But…"<p>

"Casey. Do you love him?"  
>"That's a stupid…of course i…"<p>

"Do you trust him?" Jazz cut across her.

"Yes."  
>"Then trust him to fix this and leave us to it. Promise?"<br>Casey sighed closing her eyes as she rested her head back against the wall.

"Promise?" Jazz pushed.

"I promise." She said resignedly.

"Good. Now stay put. I'm five minutes away."

Jazz hung up.

"What's all that crap about Venturi Junior?" Spike asked from the back of the car.

Jazz shrugged. "Casey's pregnant." He told his superior, knowing that Derek would understand his need to be honest under the circumstances.

Spike laughed. "Oh boy! Is he in for a bumpy road!"

"I doubt it's anything Derek can't handle." Jazz pointed out. "He's good with kids."  
>Spike shook his head. "I wasn't talking about the baby." He said with a smirk. "I know he can handle that. I meant Casey."<p>

"We knew they were together."  
>"Dating…yeah. I meant now he'll marry her. I'm sure Derek can handle Casey as a girlfriend. The question is can he handle Casey the wife?"<p>

* * *

><p>It felt like minutes but it was only seconds. Mr Nosey crossed the short distance to the kitchen entrance in silence. Derek raised himself up off his haunches, stretched his legs and checked the chamber of the gun he had claimed from Mr Bump. By the time Mr Nosey reached the kitchen door, Derek was ready.<p>

There was silence, a door creaked – and all hell broke loose.

Everyone heard the clang of wrought iron on skull followed immediately by a loud thump as Mr Nosey's body dropped to the floor.

Everyone heard it, but only Derek was expecting it.

As soon as Mr Mischief's head turned towards the kitchen, Derek shoved open the door to Graham's office and flung himself at Mr Greedy who had also spun around to look at the source of the noise. The resulting crash as the two men cannoned into the optics and glass racks behind the bar would have echoed through the restaurant – except there were other confusing noises going on that Derek, in his haste to subdue his target, had no time to comprehend.

They rolled around on the floor, both of them losing their weapons in the process. Despite the many years of training and experience, the resulting fight looked uncoordinated and as haphazard as a school yard scuffle.

As he subdued his assailant, in the back of his mind, Derek waited for the cold touch of steel to graze his neck or to hear the mutter sobs of a hostage calling an end to the fight.

But neither came.

* * *

><p>There was one person in the restaurant who wasn't as clueless to the proceedings as she made out: a small blonde lady, attractive but not excessively so. She was sitting with her tall male companion and when he had seated them earlier in the evening, Graham had smiled genuinely at the feeling of love that the couple gave out. They weren't particularly young, but equally neither were they old: maybe a similar age to Derek and Casey, maybe a little older.<p>

The woman (let's call her Alicia), he had noted, was small but her frame was strong. He put her down as a swimmer of some skill because her shoulders were broad and her muscles toned. But she still looked feminine, and her slim fingers were graced with expertly-painted light pink fingernails. Her partner was also well-built but less defined. The calluses on his fingers told of a job spent paper-shuffling.

Alicia had not noted the four men as they entered the restaurant the way in which Derek had because her back had been towards the door. For her the moment of revelation had been as the waiter had seated the group at the table next to hers. Nor had she seen the bulges under their arms when they were standing by the entrance. Instead, in a rare moment when her eyes weren't locked onto her husband's, she happened to glance towards their table at the exact instance that Mr Bump's jacket swung away from his body revealing the hardware underneath.

Surprisingly she did not visibly react though her pulse quickened and her colour paled imperceptibly. Even her husband of five years didn't notice.

Alicia's mind however was reacting. It was whirling: guessing and discarding. But it never had chance to plan. Before planning became an option, Mr Mischief was on the table.

She did see Derek, however. The angle she was sitting at meant that unlike the table to her right where the gang were seated, she could see into the quiet corner where Derek and Casey sat. Maybe her eyesight was more acute or maybe she was just more in tune with the situation but she saw Casey leave and she saw Derek drop to the floor too. That was when she knew there was a fellow professional in the room.

After that, Alicia decided she would wait. She did not know enough about the situation to react, and clearly there was someone in the vicinity who had decided that they did. So she watched and waited.

Alicia's positioning gave her a view of the entire proceedings. She knew where each of the gang was at any one time. She even had an idea of Mr Bump's fate from the moment he stepped through the door. What she didn't know was the whereabouts of Derek, or indeed who he was. But when it came down to it, her observations led her to a similar conclusion to Derek. The moment when Mr Nosey stepped through to the kitchen was probably going to be the best instance to react.

Like Derek chose Mr Greedy as his target, so Alicia decided Mr Mischief was hers. She was quiet, she was calm and restrained.

Not even her husband knew when she was about to react.

Alicia waited. She waited the same length of time as Derek. She waited until the moment the frying pan hit Mr Nosey's head and then she waited until the instance when Mr Mischief turned his head…

And then she threw herself at his table, grabbing the edge of the dark wood and shoved it upwards as hard as she could (which was pretty hard). Mr Mischief, concerned, distracted, disorientated was thrown into the air, the table making a loud crash as it followed gravity and Alicia launched herself again at the prostrate figure on the floor before her.

Like Derek, she heard the noises of action in another part of the room. Like Derek she wasn't in a position to react.

By the time the cavalry arrived, it was all over.

* * *

><p>"Derek?" Jazz shouted as soon as he stepped through the front door of the restaurant. Derek rolled his eyes and contemplated berating his friend for choosing the most obvious method of entry know to man. Then he raised his head above the bar area.<p>

"Fucking typical!" Jazz called across. "You're always propping up the bar."  
>"Jason! Language!" A familiar female voice called. "There are children present!"<p>

Derek leaned on the bar and grinned at his girlfriend as she berated his friend. "Go get 'im tiger!"

Mr Bump was still out cold – literally, there were icicles on the end of his nose. Mr Nosey had a bloody one – Graham had smacked him in the face with the pan rather than on the head. Thanks to Derek's efforts, Mr Greedy was sleeping soundly behind the bar, and Mr Mischief was currently being sat on by one of the larger diners in the restaurant.

All in all it was rather farcical.

Eventually, as his colleagues secured the site, Derek waited for Casey to come to him.

"Unbelievable!" He said as she approached him.

"What is?" Casey asked.

"You. You actually listened to me for once."

She snorted and perched on one of the bar stools. "No I listened to my own conscience. It was less self-preservation and more mothering instinct." Casey nodded towards Jazz. "Besides, someone gave me a talking to."

"Jazz?" Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He told me that if I turned up in the middle of whatever you were doing you could get hurt. I listened. To him!"

Derek smiled and promised himself he'd buy his friend a drink next time they were out.

Spike and Jazz were supervising the removal of the offenders and the clean-up of the restaurant. There were statements to be taken, evidence to be recorded, and Personal possessions to be bagged and tagged. That in itself caused a problem since sometimes whole wallets had been collected which made it very difficult for the owners to get home. Derek was about to get Casey fast-tracked through the statement process so that he could get her sent home when there was a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around to find Alicia standing before him. She smiled.

"Derek Venturi, I presume." She said in an clear mid-west accent holding out her hand.

Derek frowned. "Sorry I don't…"

She laughed and pointed to the overturned table and a rather lost looking husband who was still seated at its upright neighbour.

"Alicia Standfast." She introduced herself.

"You were the one who knocked Mr Mischief off the table?" Derek checked. Alicia nodded.

Casey couldn't help herself. "But you're tiny!" She exclaimed.

Alicia laughed. "Perhaps I should introduce myself properly." She said and reaching into her evening bag she withdrew a leather ID wallet.

"US Homeland security."

"Homeland Security?" Derek and Casey chorused. She saw the panic in their eyes.

"Relax. I'm on vacation. It just seems that there really is no rest for the wicked."

"Tell me about it." Derek muttered.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that was smart work out there. I saw you drop to the floor when they came in. It was impressive reading of the situation."

"I saw their guns as they arrived. Your handiwork was pretty hot too."

"I figured you could use a hand. Anyway, your boss is looking purposefully at you so I'll let you go. It was nice to meet you both. I guess we'll see each other again… at the trial."

And with that, the tiny woman with the big personality walked away.

Spike approached.

"I suggest you give your statements to Raymond and then get Casey home." He suggested to Derek.

"Don't you need a hand?" Derek asked.

"I've got it covered, besides you're a key witness I want to do this by the book. There will be time to talk about it all tomorrow."

Derek nodded at his boss. "Thanks Spike. I appreciate it." He did. He wanted to know that Casey was safely tucked up in bed, not present at the scene of a crime…again. Still at least this time neither of them was in hospital.

"Ha! You won't appreciate it in the morning when you have to write up your report." His boss chuckled and winked at Casey.

"Go on with you. Casey looks tired and I hear congratulations are in order. Get your fledgling family home, D."

So he did. They gave detailed statements to the waiting officer, and then made their way back to their apartment.

* * *

><p>It was a relief to get his girlfriend through the front door and to be able to shut it behind them. Casey sighed and immediately went to change into more comfortable clothes.<p>

"What a night!" She exclaimed.

"What a night!" Derek agreed following her.

"I hope Graham is okay." Casey went on. "So stressful running a restaurant as it is, but then for that to happen."

"I know. But he's a hard nut. After all it was him and his guys behind the scenes who took out two of the perps. He certainly seemed in control when I was in the kitchen."

"What happened?"  
>Derek sat down beside Casey on the bed, watching as she changed her clothes and wondering if it was just wishful thinking that he thought he could see the beginnings of a baby bump even though she was so early on in the pregnancy.<p>

Calmly he told her what had happened after he told her to leave.

"Wow!" Casey exclaimed when the details were all done. Then she pulled a face. "What a waste of food!"

Derek snorted. "What?" he laughed.

"Don't laugh at me. It's your fault. Your devil spawn is messing with my appetite. I've gone weeks feeling too sick to stomach anything and now all I am is hungry. I didn't get the meal I was promised." She pouted.

"My "devil spawn"?" Derek chuckled. "Is that what you want to call Bump now? Did you have no hand in its conception at all?" He grabbed hold of her, half-dressed as she was and pulled her onto his lap. "Because I have to tell you that if you're going to lay the blame for the little guy growing inside you solely at my feet, I might just have to remind you how he got there."

"Oh?" Casey's eyes widened. Derek had been ridiculously protective over her since they had discovered the pregnancy. He had refused to come near her in _that_ way for too long. "Is that a promise?"  
>Derek's eyes met hers. "Definitely." He muttered.<p>

"Can we eat first?" Casey asked timidly.

Derek's face fell and he groaned.

Casey laughed. "Ah! The old Derek quandary: sex or food?"

But that wasn't what had Derek groaning. He'd just remembered something vital. Something he had left in Graham's fridge, something that definitely wasn't food, something expensive. He began to mutter.

"Food…kitchen…dessert…"  
>"Yes. Dessert would be good, but I need pizza." Casey pointed out from her position on his lap. Derek stood up, pushing her to one side gently.<p>

"I need to go." He said.

Casey frowned. "Go where?"  
>"Graham's." Derek said, distractedly.<p>

"I have frozen pizza here." Casey said. "You don't need to go out."

"Yes I do." Derek said kissing her. "I'll be right back."  
>And then he was gone.<p>

* * *

><p>When Derek arrived back at the restaurant, most of the guests had gone and the scenes of crimes guys were now starting to inventory the restaurant. He let himself in the back way which appeared to be manned only by some beat officer. He looked young and inexperienced and Derek hoped that meant he could retrieve Casey's ring without it reaching the attention of his colleague's ears. He didn't want anyone knowing until he had Casey's answer.<p>

Unfortunately, when he got inside, he found that the scene was being processed by one of his most methodical of colleagues. He was the kind of guy who knew exactly how many paperclips were on his desk.

"Hi Derek. What are you doing back?"

Derek glanced around the room. He could tell the areas which had been processed. They all had stickers on them. The safe containing Casey's ring was stickerless, but the areas adjacent to it were not. Clearly the safe was next.

"I forgot something." Derek said to the agent.

"Oh. Well you'll have to get it back from the evidence locker next week." The agent said. "Everything's been impounded till they confirm origin."  
>Derek felt sick. He hadn't exactly labelled Casey's ring. He wondered if that meant he wouldn't be allowed to have it back. The thought of losing a ring worth that amount of money should have sickened him, but it was the thought of not having the ring that Casey had imagined that hurt the most.<p>

Graham appeared nearby. "No everything." He said brightly. "They're letting us give away the food so that it doesn't get wasted. I've just done a few pizzas for the rest of your department. Can I get you something to eat, Derek? You missed out on dinner."

Derek sighed. If nothing else, at least he could get some food for Casey.

He waited for Graham to put together a food parcel for him and then gratefully took the large paper bags from him, still somewhat dejectedly.

"Careful with that one." Graham said pointing to the bag Derek had in his right hand. "I've put in some of that chocolate dessert that Casey _loves_ and you know how _precious_ she gets about it looking good." He grinned at Derek.

Derek narrowed his eyes and peeked into the bag. On the very top was a white cardboard box with the words "Good Luck!" written on it. Graham had smuggled the special dessert out of the safe!

He smiled at his friend.

"Thanks Graham." He said with all his heart. "We'll be back soon. I promise."

"No. Thank you!" Graham replied. "You saved my restaurant today. There is no other way to describe it."

Derek shrugged. "You though," he said to Graham. "You saved my wife."

* * *

><p>They ate the food in bed, because they still could and their days of being irresponsible adults were numbered. Casey worked her way through pizza and brushetta and Derek had to rein her in before there wasn't enough room for dessert. He was determined she would eat dessert.<p>

"Thank you for going back for the food." Casey said, finishing up on her savoury items.

"I didn't go back for the food." Derek said, his hands shaking slightly as he took her plate.

"Oh?" Casey wiped her mouth on a napkin.

"I went back for dessert." He said.

"I know. Like I said, thanks for going back for the food."  
>"I didn't go back for the food." He repeated and then placed the white box in front of her. "You see this was a special evening for me tonight. Graham had made me a special dessert."<p>

Casey frowned. "Then you should eat it, not me." She said, pushing the box back to him. She hadn't noticed the lettering on the top because she was looking at Derek.

"He made it for me to give to you." Derek said, his hands shaking even more now. "It's yours." He added, pushing the box towards her again.

She smiled. "We could share it." She suggested.

"We will." Derek said cryptically. "We will."

He watched Casey as she slipped her finger under the white cardboard lid and lifted it. Derek wondered what state the chocolate concoction would be would be in after the rather rough journey to get home, but Casey's face told him it was still perfect.

She could see the chocolate, the entwined initials and the skill of the chef blew her mind. But she was looking down on it, and she hadn't noticed that the chocolate lid was ajar or that it had contents.

"Look inside." Derek said in a gentle voice: it waivered with fear, hope, and an element of desperation.

She looked up at him. "Inside?"

And then she saw the silver and pink ring resting on a soft sugar cushion.

"My ring!" She exclaimed. "The _perfect_ ring! You know I drew that ring when I was twelve and I've always loved it! So many of the things I loved when I was twelve I grew out of: they were too frilly or too saccharine or just plain _wrong_. But this ring…this ring I have always loved. Where did you get it made?"

"I didn't." Derek admitted. "I found it in an antique shop when I was on a case. It was silly really. It was dirty and spoiled, but it reminded me of that worn picture you used to have on the inside of your wardrobe door all those years. So I had it cleaned."

"It's beautiful." Casey said taking it from its little sugary bed. "thank you."

"It's you." Derek noted.

They were silent for a moment, Casey watching the light catch the pink diamond between her fingertips, and Derek watching Casey.

"There's a price to pay for it, Casey." Derek informed her softly. "I mean. I guess it's yours whatever, but I was hoping that it would be our…"  
>"Yes!" Casey cut him off. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She threw herself at him giving him very little time to rescue the dessert.<p>

Then she pulled back.

"Wait!" She looked panicked. "You are asking what I think you're asking aren't you?"  
>"Sure." Derek said. "Can you look after that for our daughter until she's eighteen?" he deadpanned.<p>

"De-rek!" Casey complained. He chuckled.

"Marry me?" he asked finally.

"No." Casey replied. Derek stared in horror. She relented. "Not until you get down on one knee."  
>Derek sighed and knelt on the bed.<p>

"On the floor Derek. When people ask me if you asked me properly, I don't want to say "He proposed in bed." It makes me sound…"  
>"Casey..."<br>"Floor Derek."

Derek muttered under his breath and obliged. "Now will you marry me?"  
>"I'll think about it." She joked.<p>

Derek rolled his eyes but he waited where he was and Casey moved the dessert to the bedside table and climbed down onto the floor and knelt in front of him.

"You could have given me a brass drape ring in the middle of a supermarket whilst we were discussing toilet paper." She said. "It would still be the happiest day of my life so far. I never thought I would be in love again when I lost you. It took me so long to understand that was why I grieved so badly. But I have you again, not just in my life but _as_ my life. That's a miracle in itself. The fact that you want me too and that we've created this baby between us just blows my mind away. So yes, I'll marry you. Not because of the ring, or the baby but because the only future I will ever see for myself is the one I share with you."


	6. The Visit

Edwin checked the zipper on his bag one last time before getting up and going to the window to look one _more_ time.

He was nervous.

He was doing this under protest. It wasn't at all what he had in mind for this weekend. What should have been a nice calm, romantic weekend tucked up in a log cabin with his beautiful girlfriend had turned into a George Venturi extended road trip to Ottawa.

Of course it came with all the usual enthusiastic George Venturi superlatives: "Fun", "educational" (for Robbie), "supportive" (for Casey) and "just the breath of fresh air this family needs". Edwin huffed, remembering a previous road trip where it was anything but _fun_, where the air was anything but _fresh_ and the only educational aspect of the entire (curtailed) trip was that George discovered he really needed to brush up on his (rather weak) French.

Edwin glanced out of the window of his small apartment and sighed as he spotted a minivan approaching. There really was only one person he wanted to have "fun" with right now.

The van stopped outside, he saw the door slide open and Marti jump out. Turning from the window to grab his bag, he made for the front door and out of the apartment before Marti could bounce up.

But it was Lizzie who came to get him, and his whole demeanour changed instantly.

"Hey!" he grinned, his nervousness still there but for different reasons now.

"Hey!" She smiled back, checking behind her on the staircase to make sure she was the only one who'd come to greet Edwin. Satisfied, she crossed the void between them and launched herself into his arms.

Edwin caught her with a laugh and a very deep kiss.

"God I missed you!" Lizzie exclaimed sounding as though it had been three weeks rather than three hours since they'd last seen each other.

"Missed you too." Edwin murmured against her lips. "Your side of the bed gets so cold when you aren't there."

"Shh!" Lizzie giggled in admonishment, but she was still rubbing herself up against him. "Marti's been giving me knowing looks all morning."

"The little minx!" Edwin moaned.

"I know! She's a little terrier with secrets." Lizzie concurred.  
>Edwin snorted. "I wasn't talking about her. I was talking about <em>you<em>, looking all hot and seven shades of fuckable." He ran a hand down around her backside.

"Ed-win…" Lizzie moaned but she leaned close for more kisses. "We need to get in the car."  
>"No. What we <em>need<em> is to get naked. What our family _want_ is for us to get in the car."

"Behave!" She chided.

"I am. Believe me, this is Good Edwin. Bad Edwin…_Naughty_ Edwin would have you in that bedroom faster than you could say "family road trip"."

He pulled a face. "Yup! That did it. Libido dead and buried."

Lizzie laughed at her boyfriend.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked affectionately.  
>"I have a list. Wanna see?"<p>

They eventually made it down the stairs and joined the rest of the family in the large car. With the departure of most of the McDonald-Venturi clan from the family home, George had got rid of the minivan that had been essential and purchased a smaller car. Today's trip, however, required the larger vehicle so he had rented one. It claimed to seat seven although only six were making the trip (Marti's boyfriend was working), but having slung his bag in the area designed to be a trunk, Edwin wondered if the claim to seat seven also included their luggage. As far as he could tell it didn't, the two people in the back would be required to rest their legs on rucksacks and holdalls. As Nora sat beside George in the front and Marti and Robbie had grabbed the two main seats in the middle, Edwin and Lizzie were in those jump seats, facing the wrong way. Their legs might well be inclined for the entire journey, but the privacy afforded by their location…

…that suited them just fine.

There was the inevitable rush of greetings: excited babblings from the people in the family who had nothing to hide, and restrained chattering from Marti and the other two people (i.e. Lizzie and Edwin) who did. Then the car set off.

As they quickly joined the main highway, Marti glanced over her shoulder at Edwin and Lizzie and spotted the linked hands on Edwin's thigh. She was the only person who could see the sign of affection, and she said nothing, only rolled her eyes. Marti's thoughts passed immediately onto the other McDonald-Venturi couple and concern as to what faced them in Ottawa.

Marti knew very little of recent events.

She knew that they were now safe. She knew that there was no danger of Derek being targeted by his old adversaries. Marti knew too that Derek and Casey were still living together, and that as well as the fact of Derek's survival, the couple were planning to inform their parents that they were "together". She knew it was going to come as a complete shock to Nora and George.

Marti wasn't sure how you could prepare your parents for news such as that which they were about to hear, but she planned to take them to one side tonight and lay some groundwork before they met with Casey.

Of course what Marti didn't know was that she would not be immune to shock at the reunion. A lot had happened in the weeks since she had last seen them.

* * *

><p>It was difficult to sit so close to Edwin without touching him, Lizzie decided. (Holding hands didn't count). There was something about him that made her ache to reach out and stroke something. She did, of course, when she could but that wasn't often. Instead she was resigned to the fact that at some point this weekend the only way she could get satisfaction would be to sneak down unfamiliar hotel corridors and knock on Edwin's door.<p>

Edwin felt the same way, of course, he'd booked a bedroom suitable for that purpose. But, several times during the journey he seriously considered coming clean to their parents. He felt like coughing loudly and announcing to the occupants in the car that he and his stepsister were "involved", that he and Lizzie were "in love" and that whether it was alright by everyone or not, he _would_ be touching her, holding her, kissing her whenever he felt like it.

Except he couldn't. Because at the end of the day, Edwin was a bit of a fraidy cat.

_In the end_ however, the matter was taken out of his hands.

"Right! Pull over, Georgie! I need the bathroom." Nora announced about three hours into the journey."

"But I…"  
>"But nothing hun. If I don't find a bathroom and a coffee soon you're going to have a wet passenger seat and a suicidal wife." Nora grinned at him. "Go on, sweetie. I'll make it worth your while."<br>Robbie groaned from the back. "Eurgh! Mom! Dad! NO!"

Nora glanced over the shoulder at her young son. This was a new thing for him. Clearly, the age of parental embarrassment had arrived. She smiled. George smiled at her too and then flicked the turn signal.

"Okay. But we need to make it quick. If the traffic is heavy we could hit rush hour."  
>None of the adults in the car pointed out that his eagerness to find out what was going on with Casey meant it was almost impossible to hit rush hour at this early time of the day. George was already doing what they had hoped for and no one wanted to rock the boat.<p>

Once they were parked, everyone made for the bathrooms and it amused Marti no end that George seemed to be the most eager to answer the call of nature. She followed her step-sister and step-mom into the restrooms and performed her own ablutions before finding a quiet corner with a cell signal to phone Simon.

Afterwards, while George and Nora went in search of coffee, Lizzie and Edwin too found a quiet corner, although telephony was the furthest thing from their minds.

"I got a larger room." Edwin said against Lizzie's neck.

"Great! I think Mom wants me to share with Marti, but she won't mind. And what Mom doesn't know won't hurt her."

"We'll have to be careful though." Edwin said softly. "If they find out we're sleeping together the shit might hit the fan in a big way."  
>Lizzie nodded. "We need to tell them some day though. This isn't a casual thing for me."<br>Edwin shook his head. "Me either." He sighed. "I love you, Liz. This is a big deal for me. I can see a future with you."  
>Lizzie chuckled. "I know. I mean I don't necessarily see a picket fence or anything but, you're the closest I've come to the real deal so far. It's not just sex for me."<p>

"You mean it's not the size of my considerable asset that attracts you?" Edwin wiggled his eyebrows.

"Nah!" Lizzie said dismissively. "Anyone can wield a big portfolio, it's what you do with it that counts."  
>"Oh? Are you saying you're impressed by my extensive acumen?" He teased.<br>Lizzie blinked. "Sorry, did you say "extensive cum"?"

"I really hope not." A voice said from behind them.

Lizzie paled dramatically and Edwin started to stutter. They turned to find their worst nightmare.

Nora.

She didn't look impressed.

"I'd say "care to share", but I suspect I don't want to hear the ins and outs of this little story." Nora said coldly. Edwin knew it wasn't the time to point out the unintentional pun.

Lizzie opened her mouth to speak but, again, Nora beat her to it.

"So am I to take it from what I heard that you two are sleeping together?"

The two lovers nodded.

Nora humphed. "Since when?" She asked abruptly.

"About four months." Lizzie found the courage to say.

"FOUR MONTHS!" Nora choked. Several passersby stared at her volume. "Four months!" She repeated in a quieter voice. "And…"  
>Lizzie spoke up. "We were going to tell you." She admitted. "Soon."<p>

Nora's eyes widened. "And that makes a difference because…?" She asked. "How could you two be so irresponsible? You have a young brother. A young impressionable brother who worships the ground you walk on. How's it going to affect him to know that his brother and sister are sleeping together?"

"We're not…" Edwin started to correct his step-mother about their filial state but cowered under his step-mother's glare. "I'll just…" He trailed off.

"Mom…" Lizzie started, just as George began to approach. Nora saw him and this time it was her that blanched.

"George is coming!" She said unnecessarily. "The matter is closed…for now. We will talk about it later though: after this weekend. This is not acceptable behaviour. Until we have time to talk about it properly I want no touching, or anything inappropriate between you and you _will_ sleep in separate hotel rooms. This weekend is about Casey. We are supporting Casey. She does not want to know that her brother and sister couldn't keep it in their pants. We are a respectable family: one that does not resort to behaviour worthy of an Oprah Winfrey special."

"Mom…" Lizzie objected.

"Don't "Mom" me." Nora said shortly. "We'll talk later."

And with that Nora left to join George.

As she walked back to the car, Lizzie felt tears brewing. She knew her mother was the most reasonable of women. She supported people in their choices, stood up for people's right to be themselves. It made her reaction to their relationship all the harder. If Nora didn't support them, no one else would.

"What's up?" Marti asked as Lizzie climbed into the seat that Robbie had previously occupied.

Lizzie couldn't speak. She just looked at her step-sister and the tears threatened to break free.

Marti sighed. "Did Nora find out?" She asked astutely. Lizzie nodded.

"What did she say?" Marti asked.

Edwin leaned over the back of the seat. "She made it clear that we're freaks." He whisper-spat.

Marti blew out a breath again. Then she reached across and pattered Lizzie's hand.

"Don't worry about it." She said reassuringly. "Believe me, by the time this weekend is over, you and Edwin will be the least of her worries."  
>"Meaning?" Lizzie asked.<p>

Marti shrugged. "We've got an interesting weekend ahead of us."

And Marti didn't know the half of it.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Marti asked Lizzie again later, seeing her step-sister sitting dejectedly on the bed they would share.<p>

They had reached Ottawa, checked into the hotel and made their way to their room. Lizzie had said nothing since the rest stop.

Lizzie shrugged. "I don't know." She answered honestly. "Mom's been so supportive of all of us through the years, you know, even with Derek's death…I just hoped that she would understand about Ed and I."

"Nora was just taken by surprise." Marti said, half-truthfully. "She'll come around. Especially after…"  
>"I know, I know…especially after this weekend. It's just…seriously, how can this weekend change anything?"<p>

But Marti couldn't answer because it was not her tale to tell.

Later, by common consent, they all met in George and Nora's room because it was less "room" and more "mini-suite": the parents needed a room to themselves but they also needed a room for Robbie. Beside the two bedrooms, additional space was afforded by a communal "family room" which was the ideal place for the six of them to congregate before leaving to meet Casey downstairs in the small private dining room she had booked for dinner.

Casey had known that they would want privacy for tonight.

They had all dressed up a little, nothing fancy, just a nod towards the idea that this evening was an important family occasion. In fact, Marti thought wryly, if it wasn't for the rest stop fiasco, there would probably be an air of excitement in the room. Instead, two of the room's occupants had faces like wet weekends, and a third looked distracted in an irritated kind of way.

George and Robbie just looked…hungry.

Marti, keen to get rid of the tension, produced a bottle of fizzy wine and some champagne flutes – despite her knowledge that as far as three of them were concerned there was nothing to celebrate.

But it succeeded in diffusing some tension and Nora though not a big drinker was the first to take a glass from her step-daughter's hand. George raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was a surprise which only increased when Lizzie bowled Edwin over in her hurry to gain a glass.

It was almost comic in its tragedy.

They toasted Casey and lamented the fact that they hadn't invited her up to the room first. They debated Mikey and which of Casey's ex-boyfriends he would resemble. But mostly they just twiddled their thumbs until it grew close to the time when they were expected downstairs.

At the appointed hour, George stood up as if to make his way to the door, but before he could get there, someone knocked on the other side.

The unexpected noise made them all jump.

"Mr Venturi." A familiar voice said as George opened the door. He blinked.

"Spike?"

The strange name tumbled from George's lips in surprise. Many years ago, Derek's boss had explained that no one used his rank and proper name when addressing him. He was "Spike" to anyone and everyone. (At one point in the past, he had even confessed to Derek that his wife also used the nickname – a fact which caused Derek to curve an eyebrow upwards and smirk a knowing smirk.)

"I hope you don't mind me gate-crashing your party." Spike said self-deprecatingly.

"Of course not." George said hospitably. "Let me get you a drink."  
>Spike hesitated, but decided in the end that he needed something to get through the next few minutes. After a short discussion, George furnished the policeman with a scotch (no rocks) from the mini-bar and a seat on the small sofa provided. Most of rest of the family hovered. It was confusing for them. Apparently, with the exception of George and Nora, none of the rest of the family had met the elusive Spike, not even eight years ago at the time of Derek's "death". He had been an elusive figure, mentioned by their parents but never fully explained.<p>

Apparently.

Spike glanced around the room understanding the apprehension felt by George and Nora. In the past his arrival had always signalled bad news – or news that was tainted in some way. He nodded to Nora first. It had been a long time since he had seen her. The meeting with George earlier in the year had taken place whilst Nora was absent.

"Nora, honey, I tell you honestly, you look no different today than you did eight years ago: still as beautiful as ever." His voice was sincere and Nora didn't know how to respond. Spike smiled.

"It's okay. I don't expect you to return the compliment. This job ages you by the hour rather than the year. I am well aware that my looks now are a shadow of their former selves – and they weren't great then!"

Nora and George smiled politely. Whilst they appreciated, liked even, the guy before them they were both cautious about his motives for visiting them.

Spike moved on.

"Marti." He said, noting the youngest of Derek's sisters. (The only one he honestly called sister.) "You're looking…colourful today."

Marti grinned. "I like colour." She said. "The brighter the better. Today is of course the brightest day of all." Derek's boss smiled warmly back, not seeming surprised that Marti understood the significance of today. He knew that Derek had, personally, asked Marti to be there.

"Can I trouble you to…" He let his voice trail away even as his eyes rolled towards the door.

"Of course." Marti confirmed getting up.

She moved to the door to the room and took up her position as sentry. The action made George frown. He wasn't sure why Marti looked totally relaxed in the presence of someone she had never met before.

Spike turned to her father. "Marti and I are acquainted." He informed him. "A small matter, a while back."

George's eyes widened but Spike was not forthcoming. Instead he nodded towards the other family members and despite the fact that he hadn't met them, he spoke to them as if they were old friends. Through Derek, Marti supposed, they probably were.

"Robbie. You've grown! Lizzie…still breaking hearts? And Ed…I gather you are taking the accounting world by storm. You know the Fraud Office could do with someone like you if you are interested. Forensics mainly."

Edwin looked surprised. "Fraud?"

Spike raised an eyebrow at George. "How much did you tell them about me?"

George shook his head. "Not much. They had enough to deal with. They were young so we told them the bare minimum. I think the phrase used was "friend of the family""  
>"Okay." Spike said. "Shall I do the honours?"<p>

George shrugged. "Be my guest."

"My name is "Spike". I have other ones of course, but no-one calls me anything else. I am an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police," Spike took a breath. "At the time of his shooting, I was Derek's controller."

Lizzie frowned. "Controller?"  
>"Derek was sourcing some information for me. Undercover if you like."<p>

Lizzie laughed out loud at the idea, and then when she realised no one else was laughing, turned the laugh into a cough.

Edwin sat forward as something occurred to him. "Undercover?"

Spike nodded. "Derek came to my department with some information on steroid abuse that he had stumbled upon. He accepted my request that he find out more information. When he was shot he was about to go into hiding so that he could testify in the trial."

"You're the one that got him killed?" Lizzie cried. Spike winced.

"Nothing Derek did was forced upon him and I had everything under control. Unfortunately, my superiors decided to handle things another way and…well you know what happened."

Edwin shook his head. "No. I don't think I do. I think for a very long time now all I've been hearing is half a story. People have made decisions on my behalf based on the assumption that I was too young to be told what was going on. Well I'm not too young anymore. I want to know exactly what happened and I want to know now!"

George shook his head. "Edwin, Casey is waiting for us."  
>Lizzie moved to Edwin's side and took his hand. "Then Casey can wait a little longer or she can come and find us. Ed's right. We deserve to know."<p>

So Spike told them.

"Let's start just before the hockey play-offs in Derek's last season at Queens. I don't know how much you remember of that time but Derek's coach arranged a tour of other hockey teams in the province. During the tour, and after winning one of those games, Derek got separated from his team mates. He told me that he left them in a bar because he realised he'd left his phone back in the changing rooms. He went back to get it and on the way out almost walked in on a conversation between two guys. One of them was the team doc and the other was someone he'd never see before. I won't go into much detail about what was said, but it left Derek with the impression that the players on his team were being slipped steroids without their knowledge as part of a drugs trial. The thought left him feeling sick to the stomach.

When the team returned to Kingston Derek wrestled with his conscience for a fortnight, before deciding to see a friend of George's from law school."

"I never understood why he didn't tell me." George interrupted. "It was as if he didn't trust me."

Spike sighed. "He did trust you. He was protecting you…protecting all the family. Get used to that idea, it'll come up in the story a lot." He shifted in his seat. "Anyway the lawyer brought Derek to see me. I was investigating sports betting already and I was very interested in what he had to say. Over the next few days, I had several interviews with Derek in Toronto and eventually, we decided he was a strong candidate for helping us to find out more information. We briefed him, gave him listening devices and photographs of guys who were linked to the betting scam. I believed that the whole set up was to fix games for organised crime.

"Derek was good at it. He got the information we needed and we started to make plans for him to go into witness protection until the trial date. He wanted that. More than anything he wanted to protect all of you."

Spike paused and looked around at his audience wondering how long it would take them to ask if Derek had gone into witness protection. But none of them did. Sadly, Spike realised that they had believed the lie so strongly that nothing but seeing Derek in the flesh again was going to make them consider the possibility.

"Something went wrong." He restarted. "Someone got wind of what Derek had been up to. Before Derek could disappear, the order was given by the gambling syndicate to make him disappear in a more permanent way."

"The bank robbery was a hit." George said matter-of-factly, because he had already been told this.

"What happened to the case?" Edwin asked after a moment of silence.

"They never caught the guy." George said.

Spike nodded in partial agreement. "No we didn't catch him but he didn't get away with it. In the end the guy we thought was in charge, Sal, was killed by the real boss."

"I don't understand." Edwin admitted.

"Derek was right about there being secret trials, but what they were testing wasn't a new steroid. It was a reaction between a steroid and another drug which meant that the steroid then because untraceable. It had huge potential to affect the sporting world."  
>"Because people could take steroids and get away with it." Lizzie filled in the blanks.<p>

Spike nodded. "Sal's operation was heavily involved in gambling, both legitimate and illegal. He also had a distribution network that could be used for the new drug combination. But, the visible face of the enterprise was all that he was. The mastermind behind the operation was actually the professor of endocrinology who discovered the interaction between the drugs. He was, not to put too fine a point on it, insane."

Nora frowned. "Didn't Casey's friend work in endocrinology? Steven?"

"Steven did some time in the field, yes before he and Casey settled in as ER doctor's." Spike agreed. "As a matter of fact, Steven was instrumental in bringing the Professor to justice." He paused. "Steven was Professor Smythe's nephew."

Nora's eyes looked pained. "Oh. Poor Steven! He's such a nice guy. For a while we hoped that Casey and he might…I still do."

"Nora." Spike said softly. "Steven is dead."  
>She closed her eyes. "How?"<p>

Spike told her in as straight-forward language as possible, leaving out Casey and Derek's involvement.

"Does Casey know?" Nora asked.

"Yes."

"And how do you know that?" Lizzie said suddenly. "How do you know Casey? How did you know we would be here?"

"Because I told him." A voice said from the doorway.

As one, the family turned to find Casey, dressed in a simply blue wrap dress standing next to Marti.

Spike smiled at her. "Casey has been working with our department for a while as a consultant. She's very good at it. I'm trying to woo her away from the ER but she's having none of it!"

"You'd be sick of me if I was there all the time, Spike." She said with a grin. "The noise would be overwhelming."

They both laughed at the inside joke.

"Casey was involved in the conclusion of Derek's case." Spike told the family. "It was her that recommended we took the case to Steven."

"That is something I will have to live with." Casey said quietly perching on a chair near the writing desk provided.

"Don't beat yourself up about it Casey. He wanted to help." Spike said in an attempt to console her.

Casey shook her head thoughtfully.

In the meantime, Marti had poured more wine and was holding the glass towards the new arrival.

"I'm good thanks." Casey said in refusal.

"Just one?"

Casey smiled and shook her head.

George was frowning as he processed Spike's words. "So what happened to Professor Smythe? If Sal was killed and you are saying the case is closed, will there be a trial?"

Spike nodded. "Yes. But only for some minor lackeys. The key players are all dead."  
>"Smythe is dead?" George asked.<p>

It was Casey who answered. "Smythe is dead. He was shot fleeing from police."

Nora watched her daughter, finding something off about her manner – as if Casey was still hiding something. "How did Steven die?"

Casey swallowed. "His uncle's men ran him off the road. He was rushing back to tell me something important about the case and they followed him. I feel so bad about it. If I hadn't taken this case to him he would still be here."

"And you wouldn't." Spike told her. "We'd have been relocating all of you. Casey, Steven wanted to help you. He _did_ help you."  
>"I know. I know. It's just…"<p>

"Stop worrying at it." Derek's boss told her.

George regarded Spike carefully. "So it's all over now?" He asked. "The people who killed Derek are either dead or being brought to justice?"  
>"The people who shot, or were involved in the shooting of Derek, are receiving justice." Spike said.<p>

There was silence.

"Thank you." George said. "For not letting the case die. For getting to the bottom of it and bringing those responsible to justice."

"I had a good team." Spike said self-deprecatingly.

"Could we…at some point meet the team who closed the case?" George asked.

There was a general murmur of approval throughout the room.

Spike met Casey's eyes and winked.

"I was kind of hoping you'd ask that." He said to the McDonald-Venturis with a smile.

And then he nodded to Marti to open the door.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Argh! It got away with me again! Sorry for the cliff-hanger. Hopefully won't be as long a wait for the next chapter.<strong>


	7. Hello

_So far so good._ Thought Casey a few moments earlier as she listened to Spike tell Derek's tale from the beginning. Her mom and George were listening avidly but without showing any emotion: which had to be good, right? They weren't weeping and wailing or throwing things at Spike. So far they weren't throwing things at Casey either. Long may that continue!

Casey had not seen much evidence of her mom and step-father throwing things or wailing but she figured there was a first time for everything – all things considered. George had been known to shout a little – okay a lot! – at some of the things Derek had done over the years. But he had been provoked.

Did this count as provocation? Hiding the fact that your step-brother was alive? Would he flip over that? What if she added the fact that she was sleeping with said step-brother…engaged to him…expecting his baby? How much would it take to break a Venturi's cool?

Of course, all Spike was currently telling them was a generalised account of Derek's tale. There would be questions later – questions that only Derek could really answer.

That would be the hardest part: revealing Derek.

Spike had promised a while ago that he would be there tonight. He knew it wasn't going to be easy hearing how their son had hidden the fact he was alive from his family for nearly a decade. Spike wanted to be there to let the family know that the initial deception had not been Derek's idea, and the further deception was purely to keep them all safe in a bad, dangerous situation: all meaning Derek _and_ the rest of the McDonald-Venturi clan.

Last night had been an anxious one for Derek and Casey. They knew that in twenty four hours the biggest secret they had ever kept from their parents would be revealed. They knew their parents, loved their parents but even they couldn't guess how their parents would take the news.

Derek had phoned Sam and asked him how he should handle it. Sam told him to tell the truth – and to duck! In view of Casey's initial reaction to him being alive, the ducking seemed like a good plan. When he mentioned that to Casey however, she had snorted and said it was different for her and that the ducking would only be necessary when Nora found out she was pregnant and the baby was Derek's.

Derek thought she was joking…probably.

Casey was not joking now, sitting there surrounded by almost all the members of her family, nervously playing with her engagement ring. She wasn't sure at what point Spike was going to do the whole _reveal_ thing. She suspected Spike had a flair for the dramatic and was proved right when he made his comment about meeting the team who had closed the case. There was a definite flourish of the arm there and Marti had dramatically thrown open the door with such enthusiasm it crashed against the wall.

And then there he was, the love of her life, standing in the doorway revealing himself to his family after eight long years of self-exile.

And behind him, Jazz and Bea. For moral support.

* * *

><p>Silence.<p>

A silence so loaded you could not only hear a pin drop you'd probably be able to see it slowly slide through the thick tension as if the mere air were jello. Everyone had frozen, only their eyes betraying their shock. Their jaws remained firmly closed and Casey had a moment to wonder at the inaccuracy of the phrase "jaw-dropping".

Then Derek spoke.

"Hi."

He looked nervous, because he was. She knew he'd thrown up before they left their apartment, the same way he always did before a big hockey game.

When there was still no response he glanced over to her and she saw the look of panic on his face. It passed quickly as he turned again to the rest of the room. Derek's eyes narrowed.

"Hey Dad! Nice tie! Are you wearing it for a bet or was it dark when you left home this morning?" he quipped.

Casey groaned. "Der-ek!" It was typical of him to resort to humour in an awkward situation.

Marti giggled and came across to hug him. "You never change, bro."

"I do. It's just Dad's taste in neckwear that doesn't." Derek said, hugging her back. "Hi sis. Miss me?"

"Yup. You owe me thirty bucks."

She turned to Jazz. "Nice to see you again…particularly as my fridge is hundreds of miles away. You ate me out of house and home you know." She winked so that he knew she wasn't really upset. Bea laughed at the expression on her boyfriend's face.

Meanwhile, Robbie was on his feet. "Derek?" He asked cautiously. His instinct recognised his brother but like the others he didn't believe it. He was however, braver than the others. Something about growing up in a house full of sadness.

Derek moved away from Marti and crossed to his little brother. There maybe eighteen years between them but the fact that they were brothers was very apparent.

"Wow! Robbie! What happened to my little ankle-biter?"

"I grew!" Robbie said proudly – and relaxing as he knew his instinct was right. "Just like you said I would."

"You remember that?" Derek was surprised. Finding Robbie in tears one day because he couldn't reach his favourite toy was one of the last things Derek remembered about his family. The little boy had been a toddler and now stood before Derek on the cusp of eleven.

"Of course I do. I remember a lot about you. I remember you reading Superman comics to me and Mom telling you off for pulling me round the garden in the trundle truck."

Derek looked over Robbie's head at Nora and she smiled weakly.

"Actually, she didn't tell me off for that." Derek corrected him. "She told me off for hanging you upside down so much you barfed your breakfast all over her shoes."

Robbie pulled a face. "Ew!"

Derek chuckled. "Good times!" he said winking at his step-mother. Nora rolled her eyes but the smile was warmer.

Edwin felt something touch him on the shoulder and glanced up into Lizzie's face. She squeezed the place where her hand rested and mouthed. "Are you okay?"  
>He shook his head.<p>

How could anyone be "okay" when the impossible had just been revealed? Derek, his _dead_ brother was standing in front of him, as large as…no _larger_ than life. It doesn't happen, resurrection. It just doesn't happen.

"I don't understand." A voice stated, but it wasn't Edwin's.

Everyone turned to look at George who was half-sitting, half-standing in indecision. He looked old, grey, and more ancient than he had ever looked before. Derek was concerned.

"Are you okay Dad?" He asked the older man, moving towards him, wondering whether the shock was about to kill his father.

George shook his head but he finished standing and by the time Derek reached him, was in a position to be able to accept his son's embrace.

"I don't understand." George repeated into Derek's shoulder. The hug was tighter and longer than any they had shared before.

Casey watching from the sidelines saw her fiancé close his eyes in relief and heard him murmur "It's okay Dad. I'll explain it all soon. Just give me a fucking hug because I've missed you all so much."

Her hormones got to her then and she felt the tears start to fall from her eyes.

Nora too was watching her partner's interaction with his son. She stood slowly and approached them. Derek saw her coming and opened the embrace to include her without words. Casey knew her mother would be a wreck in the midst of the two men.

The room remained quiet, giving them time to themselves.

Marti sauntered over to Edwin and Lizzie.

"See. Told you they'd have other things on their mind."

Edwin looked suspicious. "You _knew_?"

He jerked his head round to look at Casey now that he noticed she didn't seem surprised either. "You both knew. How?"

Marti smiled. "I paid attention, Ed. I listened to what Casey was telling me rather than writing her off. I figured it out before she did."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "Which was when _exactly_?" She asked slightly petulant.

Casey sighed. She had always known that Edwin and Lizzie would be hard to pacify over the whole business. The secret she and Marti had kept from them went against the sibling code of honour.

The big stuff you may very well keep from your parents, but you do tell your siblings.

"I discovered Derek was still alive when I first visited Ottawa." Casey admitted and then, in an attempt to get someone to share the blame. "But Marti knew before Christmas."

Marti snorted and stuck her tongue out at Casey. But it was all in jest. This was too good a family moment for her to mind.

Nora had heard though, despite the way her husband and his son gripped her. "You knew!" She said, pulling away and regarding her daughters in horror. "You _knew_ and you didn't tell us?"

"Mom…" Casey started but Spike got there first.

"Nora, Casey and Marti were pretty much ordered not to tell you. They had no choice."  
>Nora resumed her previous seat as George, sensing that there was more story to tell also pulled away from Derek.<p>

"Ordered by whom?" Nora asked.

"Me." Derek said.

Edwin coughed. "Well that's no excuse, Casey! You've never done anything Derek told you to anyway."

Marti snickered in response as Derek crossed to Casey's side. "Yeah well, what'd'ya know. I ordered and this time she listened."

"After I'd smacked you in the face for being alive." Casey leaned against the chair she had been sitting on and grinned at him.

Derek smirked. "It's okay. It didn't hurt. I was still in shock from your initial reaction."

Casey's eyes widened. _Not yet!_ They signalled to him. Derek smirked. He wasn't ready to out their relationship yet either.

George took a deep breath. His colour was better now and Derek was happier that his Dad would survive their reunion. All the same he was rather glad that his fiancée was a trauma specialist. He wondered idly if Casey had brought her medic bag with her.

Casey saw the direction and tone of his gaze. "He's fine." She whispered. "But I've got my bag just in case."

George made himself comfortable. "Spike, I think I'm ready to hear the rest of the story now."

The other family members concurred. It was Casey however, who took up the tale. It was a tale she had told them once before but even now it was hard to repeat. It was hard to tell though he was standing beside her, his body so close she could feel its warmth against her own skin, and their baby growing inside her.

Unseen Derek slipped his hand down to her own and linked their fingers as Casey began.

"I got the call at home. Everyone else was out. I can't remember where everyone was but the next few hours are printed on my brain. Apparently, one of the people who fled the bank when they saw the gunman was at school with us. She had recognised Derek and called me. She was in hysterics saying that he was inside the bank and there was a gunman." Casey could feel herself losing it.

Derek put an arm around her and rubbed a thumb against her bare skin on the shoulder where his hand rested.

She went on.

"I thought it was a prank but I heard the gun shot on the phone and ran. By the time I got to the bank everything was cordoned off and the place was crawling with police and paramedics. They didn't want to let me in because they were trying to stabilise Derek but in the end one of the doctors gave the police a funny look and they let me past the cordon. I realise now they were sure he would die."

"Despite this, when they decided Derek was as stable as they were going to get him they called for a helicopter transfer to Toronto – and they let me go too. So as soon as I knew it was Toronto I rang Sam and asked him to meet me there. I also asked him to keep trying Mom and George while we were in the air."

Casey felt the tears looming again. Derek forgot himself and leaned close to kiss her temple. She smiled up at him and he whispered something to her.

It was tender, warm though it surprised the family who didn't know. Keen for more information from Derek and Casey about how he was alive, they wrote the affection off as extreme circumstances.

And the moment passed.

"Derek "died" three times during the flight. But the medic guys brought him back. When I got to Toronto however, I still had to say goodbye. I held Derek's hand and kissed his face once and then they whisked him away from me to surgery. I never saw him again."

Casey broke down and Derek pulled her close to him, whispering in her ear all the time.

_I'm here. I'm alive. We're together now. I love you. I love our baby._

Nora nodded to Edwin.

"Pour Casey a glass of something strong, Edwin please."

"No!" Derek and Casey chorused a bit too suddenly.

"I'm fine mom." Casey said trying to calm herself. "Water will be enough."

Derek kissed her head and released her again. Then he took up the tale.

"I woke up about a month later. They had kept me in an enforced coma to allow my skull to repair, and to monitor me for any blood clots and so on. When I first woke, I couldn't remember anything after an argument Casey and I had at breakfast." He grinned at Casey again. "So basically, I woke up pissed at Casey."

They all laughed at the irony. Derek always woke up pissed at Casey – as far as they were concerned.

"Gradually, I came to, and asked for my family. They kept telling me that I was in isolation and that it was too soon. Eventually, after a week of being given the run around, I got angry. Or rather as angry as someone who was weak and pale could. I couldn't say boo to a goose, but they were worried about my heart rate and my mental state, so eventually they sent in Spike to see me and give me the bad news.

I knew it was bad news as soon as he walked in the room." He smirked at Spike. "Sorry boss." He said cheerfully. "You don't have any kind of poker face."

Spike shrugged. "I have other methods of winning." He said.

Derek continued. "Spike looked very, very angry, but I could tell it wasn't aimed at me. He told me that someone higher up the chain of command had decided that we should go ahead with the plan to put me in Witness Protection…and they had already made the arrangements and killed me off."

Nora gasped.

"They made the decision without consulting you?" She asked.

Spike coughed. "My predecessor in this job was an asshole of the highest calibre. Excuse the language but there's nothing else to say that's good about him. I spent days arguing with them but by that stage it was already too late. He had made the decision within half an hour of Derek being admitted to the hospital. Nothing I could say would change his mind."

"You all lost one person. I lost everything I had ever known: My family, my friends, my career, my past. I had nothing left and no one to turn to except some faceless bureaucrats who had made a major decision about my future without any consultation."

There was silence and this time it was Casey comforting Derek.

"I told you before D, you didn't lose us. We were still there. I know that you said we were out of reach but we never stopped thinking about you."

He sighed.

"It didn't feel like it. I tried to insist that I was allowed to go back, but that was when Spike took me to one side and spoke to me. He told me that you all thought I was dead. That you had held a funeral and memorials; that you had made donations in my name – and spent long hours crying. But, he told me that if I went back, I would be targeted again, and this time, they might hurt my family too." He shrugged. "When he put it like that I realised they had left me no choice. I will protect my family."

Edwin piped up. "So where have you been for the past few years then?" There was an element of accusation to his question.

"Well you have to remember that until last month my case was still open, which left Spike with a problem. He needed to protect me, but he also needed the case solved. So he employed me."

"As what?" Lizzie asked, surprised.

"A mountie." Casey said with a small grin.

Derek glared at her.

"Why couldn't you just say "a cop"? Now they're going to start with the horse and tight pants jokes."

George snickered.

Edwin looked horrified. "Wouldn't dream of it, D."

Lizzie shook her head. "Neither would I." She protested.

But George was already humming…

"Saddle up my travelling shoes, I'm bound to walk away these blues…"

"Dooooo South!" Edwin, Marti and Lizzie chorused.

"Casey!" Derek whined. "Tell them to stop. I'm a cop not a tourist attraction."  
>She laughed.<p>

Nora didn't. "Is it dangerous?" She asked. "Your job?"  
>"It was." Spike answered for him. "But Derek's office-based now."<br>"Why?" It was an astute question from an astute woman.

"Because I'm not fit for active service anymore." Derek admitted with a large chunk of resentment. "I got injured closing the case and they decided that it was too dangerous for me to get put in that situation again."  
>"Injured?" Nora pushed.<p>

Casey straightened. "When Derek got shot all those years ago they repaired his head trauma with a surgical plate. Initially, he was fine but he had a fall during the last case and it took a long time for him to come round. There's no further permanent damage from this instance but they don't want to risk it."

"But you're healthy otherwise?" George asked with concern.

"I'm fine, Dad." Derek said dismissively. "They were being over cautious."  
>"Derek I had to re-start your heart!" Casey pointed out.<p>

"Ah that!" He said waving her comment away. "I was just faking so you'd give me the kiss of life." Derek lied.

"Moron!" She snapped back, eyes flashing. He grinned at her. Casey took a deep breath to deliver a stinging retort.

"Now now, children." Bea said with a grin. "Don't argue."

"You haven't see the half of it!" Marti said to Bea and then grinned.

"You must be Bea. I've heard a lot about you."  
>Bea raised an eyebrow. "Really? Do tell!"<p>

Jazz frowned. Casey chuckled.

"It was all good, B. He never shut up about how much he was missing you when we were in London."

She turned to the rest of the room.

"Sorry. We should have introduced you. This is Jazz, Derek's partner and Bea, Jazz's…"

"Millstone." He muttered. Bea elbowed him and he smiled weakly up her. Then they both laughed and he threw an arm around her shoulders.

As the tension in the room dissipated somewhat, Casey suddenly realised she was beginning to feel a little nauseous and immediately knew the cause.

Hunger.

"Guys, I know we still have so much to talk about, but let's take this downstairs. They are expecting us soon and it would be nice to sit and eat while we talk."

Edwin leapt up and Robbie followed him.

"I'm all for that!" Ed said. Lizzie rolled her eyes.

The family gradually began to move towards the door, but Casey and Derek hung back as the younger ones left. Spike too was not quick leaving.

"Mom?" Casey asked with concern. "Are you and George okay with all this?"

Nora glanced towards the door, satisfying herself that Robbie and their other siblings had gone.

"I'm just a little…I don't know…blown away by it all." She admitted.

George nodded. "I'm sorry if we don't seem excited Derek, it's just that it's a lot to take in."  
>Derek and Casey nodded.<p>

"I understand." Derek said. "Believe me I understand. But if it wasn't for the need to keep you safe I would have told you sooner. Honestly. And Casey…it wasn't her fault at all. When I told her the story I made it clear no one could know."  
>"Okay. I do understand, really." George said. "Just give us some time. Now, let's go get some food. I don't know about you but all this drama has given me an appetite."<br>Casey smiled. "Oh Derek's hungry. He threw up before we came here."  
>Nora looked concerned. "Are you alright?"<p>

"It's nothing Mom, just the usual Derek nerves." Casey answered for him.

"You still do that?" George queried. Derek groaned.

"Unfortunately, yes."

The three men sped up and made their way out of the door. But Nora stopped Casey before she could follow.

"When do we meet Mikey?" She asked, but Casey knew from the accompanying look that Nora was asking something else.

"Yes. Mikey is Derek." She confessed.

Nora nodded. "I thought so. Things are different with you two." She informed Casey thoughtfully. "Derek behaves differently with you now." Her expression queried.

Casey blinked. "We're friends." She said shortly, and then "Mom. There's more to tell you about lots of things, but for now let's go join the family and let Derek and the family have their reunion before anymore drama."

Her mother picked up her purse from a table.

"You look different." She said. "Happy."

Casey smiled. "I am. Very. Happier than I've ever been in my life but nowhere near as happy as I know I'll be in the future."

The elder woman smiled. "Then I don't think either of us have anything to worry about the confessions to come."

And she swept in front of a surprised Casey and out through the door.


	8. The Whole Truth

It was a pleasant meal if a little crowded around the large round table the hotel staff had provided. The room was little larger than the table, but that only gave it an air of intimacy and secrecy which was appropriate. There was something about the situation that made it all comfortable and to Casey's delight, everyone seemed to have relaxed significantly and were happily chatting amongst themselves.

There had been no seating plan for tonight, they all found their natural place in the group: George sat beside Nora, as expected, Edwin and Lizzie came next, followed by Robbie and Marti, Jazz and Bea and then Derek and Casey.

The final, odd person was Spike. He sat between Casey and George like the bachelor uncle who is almost, but not quite, forgotten.

As soon as Casey took her place beside Derek, He took her hand under the table.

"You okay?" He murmured under the noise of everyone else shuffling, fiddling with napkins and cutlery.

Casey considered the question. Was she okay?

She thought so.

The evening was already going better than she had planned. George and Nora had not shown the anger she had feared at the revelation that they had been kept out of some serious secrets. Casey was still apprehensive about the revealing of secrets to come but even so…

Casey smiled at Derek. "I'm fine." She said.

He squeezed her hand. "Good. Because otherwise we'd be leaving right now."

"Is this you being the alpha-male?" She asked, amused.

"It's me protecting you both." He said and when Casey looked confused he went on.

"You and Bump." His hand left its place on his own leg and pressed briefly against the place where the swelling would soon announce their child's prospective arrival to the world. It was a private gesture and one that many years ago Casey would not have expected from her step-brother.

But then many years ago she would not have expected him to have been her willing partner in this latest plot.

And then his hand was gone, withdrawn once again to his own lap.

The waiting staff arrived to provide drinks and take orders, and the chatter momentarily halted only to rise again when the instructions had been given and they were once again alone as a family.

George stood, his drink in his hand, and addressed the assembled friends.

"Before we start with the further interrogations of Derek and his co-conspirators," They all laughed and George continued. "I'd like to make a toast."

He looked affectionately towards Derek.

"Son, I have toasted you at times over the past few years, but the toasts have always been with a heavy heart and rather too much scotch. I toasted you because I'd lost a son yet I didn't want you to be forgotten. Tonight I'd like to make what I hope will be the first of many healthier toasts: a toast to mark your resurrection and resumption of your place within our family." George paused and swallowed with difficulty. "After you…went, I would have given my right arm to be summoned into the Principal's office on your behalf again; to hear someone berate your lack of common sense. After you…left, I always seemed to have too much cash in my pocket, the phone never rang enough and my gas bill halved over night. Dare I say, I even wished daily for the chance to hear you and Casey arguing again?"

There was a chuckle from around the table.

"…Although the pair of you don't seem to be arguing right now, I'm sure that's just around the corner."

Derek smirked at Casey and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"But tonight, by whatever miraculous agency, you're back here among us and I think that deserves a toast. So…

To my eldest son Derek, who taught me that the holes you leave behind in your family are far greater than the holes you dig you (and your parents) into during your life. To Derek," George paused then he held up his hand in a Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper!"

"Georgie!" Nora protested. But everyone else laughed loudly because humour was exactly what the situation needed before it all got too emotional. Casey was already wiping a tear from her cheek.

George sat down and Derek nodded.

"Thanks Dad. It means a lot to me that you are recognising your inner Spock although you're definitely developing a Kirk paunch there."

"It's not too late to cut off your allowance." George said narrowing his eyes.

"Cut off? I was thinking of asking for it to be backdated actually." Derek joked.

Jazz and Spike laughed.

The food arrived, the conversation resumed. To start off with it was simple queries between family members who hadn't seen each other for a week or so. Soon, however, the queries turned once again to Derek.

"So where have you been living?" Nora asked with typical motherly concern.

Derek shrugged. "Here and there. It depended on the job. When I left hospital, Spike arranged for me to stay in the accommodation at the training school to recuperate. Then when it became obvious that I could cope on my own, feed and clean up after myself, he moved me into a safe house. I began to work and the money started to come in, so I bought my first apartment."

"_First_ apartment?"

Derek nodded. "It was a rat-infested hole because I didn't trust myself not to screw the mortgage payments up. When I started to do well at work and the pay scale changed, I bought other properties. Several."

"Were these good apartments?" asked Casey because they'd only skimmed over this in their own discussions.

"That depends on your definition of good. It all got quite complicated. Because of my unique role and the compensation for it, I was earning more money than I knew what to do with, but at the same time my life was still at risk. I didn't feel rich and I didn't want status symbols. I bought places – with cash- where I could start over again in a hurry."

"In a hurry?" Edwin was curious.

"I was never sure if Sal and his partner were going to discover my whereabouts. I wanted somewhere to run to."

"That never happened?" Marti asked.

Derek shook his head. "Not really. Just the once and by the time they discovered that I was still alive, moving wasn't an option. Casey was staying with me and there was no way I was going to ask her to live in one of my "safe" houses. You've seen how much of a clean freak she is. I got rid of them earlier this year."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "How many were there?" he asked although he knew Derek had been keeping his property details from his boss, he wasn't sure to what extent.

"Four. At one point five. But only one of them was in anyway a home, although I left all of them in a better state than I bought them. I made a tidy profit on them." He sipped his wine and continued talked to Spike. "Then of course there were the places that you had me stay in. Like Vancouver and so on. If you thought I lived in one particular place you were more than likely wrong. Sometimes I hopped from one to another."

Bea looked thoughtful. "Until Casey."

Derek smiled. "Until Casey. She screwed things up royally when she stuck her nose in." he turned to her with a grin. "You always did have a way of screwing up my plans."

Casey pulled a face. "Gee thanks!"

Under the table their hands met again and Derek's thumb stroked the back of her hand.

"When I first met you," Jazz started. "You looked like a pimply-faced youth. The guys in the office used to draw straws as to who didn't get paired with you."  
>Spike nodded. "He's right. They used to queue up at the door to complain about being given "baby-sitting duty"."<p>

Jazz went on casually. "Until that episode in the strip joint." He said, carefully avoiding Casey's eyes.

Derek's own eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest. Casey dropped his hand under the table and shifted in her seat.

"Strip joint?" her voice rose to a squeak, one eyebrow raised into her hairline.

Derek coughed. "Jazz, dude. Come on. You can't just say stuff like that. _People_ will make assumptions."

Jazz shrugged appearing not at all bothered by Derek's protestations because he knew his friend was innocent of any wrong-doing. "So tell them what really happened."  
>His partner groaned. "Do I have to?"<p>

"I would. Casey's dying to hear the story. Aren't you, hun?" Jazz smirked at Casey.

"I'm hanging on his every word." Casey said in a pointed way. Nora nodded her agreement.

"Me too."

Derek rolled his eyes and took a sip of the wine _he_ was allowed to have.

"I'd been with the department about a year. I was finally off medical watch and probation. Spike was sending me out on minor jobs, normally with a more senior agent as my partner. Whichever senior guy I got was nearly always a wiseass who bossed me about and had me doing the dirty end of whatever task it was that Spike had given us. One time, for example, we had to search a landfill site for an old battered suitcase a perp had thrown into a passing refuse truck." Derek shook his head sadly. "My partner in that little jaunt sat on the hood of our car with a coffee and doughnut and directed the search whilst I routed through enough garbage to fill ten such trucks."  
>"You found the suitcase though." Spike pointed out.<p>

"Yeah, but it was already empty." Derek griped. "My only consolation was that my partner, Wayne, ended up with a stomach bug from not washing his hands before eating as he watched me."

Jazz snorted. "Wayne? He was a dirty fu…fellow at the best of times!" he grinned apologetically at Nora even as Derek smirked at his friend's almost slip in front of Casey's mother. Then Derek continued the story.

"For a while, all I seemed to get was stuff that should have gone to the traffic department or a beat officer. After about four months of this sort of job, Spike decided to move me onto something a little "cleaner"." Derek narrowed his eyes at his boss "…although that's using the term "clean" lightly. He had me checking the credentials of the local strip joint – you know, making sure they conform with their licence conditions and so on. I've no idea how our department got lumbered with it. I mean it was still a job for uniform not one of us!"

Spike sat forward. "Actually, I gave you stuff I didn't trust the usual crowd with. That suitcase was important and the club…"  
>"…and the club," Derek went on. "Well it wasn't what I expected."<br>Edwin coughed pointedly. "Yeah, right. Like you've never been in a strip club before!"

Derek took a deep breath, more than a little aware of his fiancée beside him. "You mean while I was at college? Sure I went in tit…" Derek caught Nora's pointed glance at Robbie who had pulled out a Nintendo DS and was carefully absorbed in mini-Marios. "…_topless_ bars with the guys, en masse. It's part of the sports major mentality. Those bars were harmless and actually cleaner and cheaper than this one. This one was a proper strip club. Anything…and everything went. It was an eye-opener."

Jazz nodded enthusiastically. "It was that alright! Tell them about Jacquelle!"

Spike made a noise halfway between a snort and a giggle, but Bea and Casey exchanged a look that had no humour in it at all.

"Jacquelle! Ah the lovely Jacquelle!" Derek said, reminiscing with a wry smile. He turned to his father. "She was exactly your type dad. You know big…" Derek started to make a gesture but stopped when Casey stomped on his foot under the table. He coughed to cover the gasp of pain.

"Anyway…Jacquelle was the owner. She was tall, dark…"  
>"…and handsome, definitely handsome." Jazz cut in.<p>

Derek frowned. "Am I telling this story or are you?"

Jazz made a "go ahead" gesture and Derek resumed his tale.

"She was tall, dark and attractive I suppose if you like that sort of thing."

"Which of course you don't…?" Casey interjected with a "look". It said, "I'm monitoring your behaviour in this situation very very carefully, buster."

Derek smirked. "Oh Jacquelle was definitely not my type." He said with a chuckle.

"She ran the joint like a school ma'am and to be honest the girls needed it. They were all borderline legal age with the kind of high school honour code that set your teeth on edge. But, as far as I could tell everything was above board.

Not surprisingly, my partner for the day was remarkably keen to be "hands on" this time. While I checked all the legal stuff, he sat in the bar and was "entertained". Trying to get him out of there was kind of like trying to get that last coin out a kid's piggy bank. No matter how much I tried there was just no way to get the idiot to leave."

"Which turned out to be a good thing." Jazz noted.  
>"Which turned out to be a good thing." Derek confirmed. "The whole time I'd been there, Jacquelle had been coming on to me. She kept rubbing herself up against me, loosing buttons on her clothes and trying to loose buttons on mine. I was so fu-<em>freaking<em> desperate to get the job done so that I could leave."

Casey's eyes widened.

"The _search_, Casey. _The search!_" Derek protested.

Edwin grinned at Lizzie.

"The rubbing and molesting helped in some way too. Being that close to her I spotted something very interesting: something I knew Jacquelle would not want me to see."

George sat forward, hooked on his son's anecdote. "What?"

"Ink." Derek said with satisfaction. "It was a tattoo above her heart which was just visible when she wobbled her cleavage in my face."

"Lovely." Lizzie said, sounding as though it was anything but lovely.

"I don't understand." George said. "Why was it important?"

Derek grinned smugly. "Because I'd been reading the department "watch" list just before I left to do the inspection. That particular tattoo was mentioned as being an identifying mark on a fugitive."

"And you'd just found her?" Edwin concluded.

Derek shook his head. "I'd just found _him_. Jacquelle was really Jacob Stone. He had a rap sheet a mile long and four U.S. state police forces looking for him – as well as the whole of Canada."

"He was dressed up as a woman?" Edwin asked.

Derek shook his head again. "Nope. He was half-way through a sex-change procedure."

"What?" George was stunned. His eldest son laughed.

"Apparently, he confessed to us afterwards that he'd always had a problem with his identity and so when he needed to disappear he decided it was time to reinvent himself. He had enough money to pay for the procedure so he disappeared and re-emerged as Jacquelle."

"But if he had enough money to have the procedure why didn't he get the tattoo removed?" Lizzie asked.

"Vanity." Derek replied. "The doctor told him he would need to decide which operation he wanted first, the tattoo removal or the breast augmentation? He chose the breast job."

"So what did you do? When you realised who Jacquelle really was?" Nora appeared to have shed her disapproval of the story and was as interested as everyone else.

Derek finished eating and laid his knife and fork on the plate in front of him.

"I did nothing…at the time. The guy was a freaking nut and I was pretty much on my own. When I worked out that he didn't know I'd "made" him, I finished up and left as quickly as I could. I even left my partner in the bar. Outside, I found a quiet spot and called Spike."

His boss nodded. "We raided the place, arrested Jacquelle and half of his staff."

The three policemen smirked with self-satisfaction.

Lizzie was concerned. "What about the young girls? Someone took care of them, didn't they?"  
>Jazz laughed. "That's why Derek suddenly became popular." He enlightened them. "They all had to be questioned at length about the activities in the club. The department had never seen so many scantily-clad females! It was like working in vice only without the smell. After that, the guys were falling over themselves to be partnered with Derek – or rather "Mikey" as he was then."<p>

"Idiots." Derek said quietly. He turned towards Casey. "I haven't voluntarily been in a strip club since." He said, as if idly commenting, but he was trying to reassure her. Jazz nodded. "Me either. I'll never look at a stripper in the same way again. Jacquelle was just so realistic!"

To Nora's relief, they left the topic there and continued eating for a moment as Jazz and Derek mused over other cases they had worked. There were a lot of cases. It seemed to Derek's step-mother that his life over the years he had been in exile was full of work; work and nothing else.

As the rest of the group finished their main course, Nora regarded Derek carefully and finally spoke.

"Well that's a lot about your professional life so far, what about your private life?"

Derek frowned as he felt Casey stiffen beside him. Would he tell her mother that he was sleeping with her daughter? Derek once again took her hand beneath the table.

"It's been a dangerous life, Nora. There hasn't been anyone of consequence for a long time."

"It seems a lonely life to me." His step-mother said sadly.

"It was. My family is everything to me and I've gone too long without it."  
>Spike smiled reassuringly at Nora. "And Derek's just taken a promotion which will take him out of the firing line from now on."<br>His charge pulled a face. "Yeah. I'm on permanent desk duty from now on." He grumbled.  
>"Don't complain about it Derek. It's for your own good." Casey pointed out, showing her doctor's colours again.<p>

"_Our _own good." Derek murmured under his breath.

"Maybe now's the time to settle down then." Nora said cheerfully.

"Nora!" George protested. "Derek's only been back with us for a short while. You can't start on the "when are you giving me grandchildren?" speech yet." Casey choked on her drink as George went on. "Maybe wait until after Christmas." He winked at his wife.

Jazz chuckled. "Christmas might be a bit late for that." He said cryptically. Derek glared at him.

The conversation turned to more general things as everyone finished eating. Marti watched her family and enjoyed the fact that they were once again together. She noted that Edwin and Lizzie seemed more relaxed than they had all day; she was fairly sure there was some knee-love going on under the table there.

George and Nora looked happier than she had seen them in years. It was as though ten years had been wiped from their ages: wrinkles smoothed, colour restored. It lifted a weight from Marti's own shoulders.

Robbie looked up from his DS and saw his older sister grinning.

"What?" he asked

"I'm just pleased we're all here." Marti said, happily.

"Well all of us except Mikey." Robbie said, clearly having paid very little attention to the adult conversation that had been going on.

"Robbie, weren't you listening? Mikey was the name that Derek was using while he was hiding." Marti pointed out.

Robbie had buried his head in his DS again. "No Marti. Mikey is the name of Casey's fiancé." The boy said with the indignant righteousness of a child who knows their facts.

Lizzie overheard and giggled. "Robbie honey, Marti's right. Mikey is Derek, not Casey's boyfriend. I guess we all read too much into Mikey."

"I said fiancé." Robbie complained distractedly. "Not boyfriend."

"Fiance." Lizzie amended.

Robbie was quiet for a moment whilst he negotiated a difficult part of his game. Then he put down his DS and turned his attention to Marti.

"Okay. So if Mikey is Derek and not Casey's fiancé, why is Casey wearing an engagement ring?"  
>The question filled a sudden pause in the general conversation and like a loud scratch across a vinyl record, everyone turned to regard Casey.<p>

Casey's face turned white with shock.

* * *

><p>Casey was struck dumb. She opened her mouth to say something but the words failed her. She had rehearsed all sorts of ways to begin what would be one of the most difficult confessions of her life, but they all involved <em>her<em> starting the conversation and steering into the topic gently. She glanced at Derek who appeared to be choking on his drink beside her.

"Casey?" Nora asked, her eyes fixed onto her eldest daughter in a way that reminded Casey of being five years old and caught with the cookie jar.

"Mom, I…" She started, but stopped again straight away.

Meanwhile, Marti was processing the face that maybe she didn't know all the secrets in the room. She wasn't comfortable with that fact.

"Casey?" Marti asked.

Edwin and Lizzie exchanged glances and wordlessly made the mutual decision to stay out of this discussion. Since Spike, Jazz and Bea were familiar with the answer to Nora's question and Robbie had already made his assumptions that left only George.

George looked uncomfortable as he always had done when it came to the potential wrong-doings slash embarrassing situations of his step-daughters.

In the end he settled for what had been his comfort zone whenever there was an "incident" in the McDonald-Venturi home during Derek and Casey's teenage years. Instead of turning to Casey, he turned to Derek.

"Derek?" He asked, frowning.

Casey's fiancé rolled his eyes. "Seven years and he still reverts to type." Derek muttered and then louder. "If in doubt, point the finger at Derek."

Jazz sniggered. Bea elbowed him in the ribs.

Casey coughed. "Maybe, Derek that's because nine times out of ten the blame lies with you." She noted with a raised eyebrow.

Nora frowned. "Except this time, of course." It was more question than statement.

Her daughter sighed. "No mom, this time it would be pretty accurate too."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow." Nora pushed for clarification. "Did you just say that you and Derek are…"

"…involved. Yes." Casey confirmed. Her voice wavered making her sound uncertain.

Derek glanced at her with an amused frown. "You sure about that, princess?"

Casey met his eyes and caught the humour in his manner. She shrugged. "I'm considering my options." She teased.

"But I…" Nora started.

"I hinted at it earlier mom, you seemed to understand." Casey broke across Nora's ramblings.

"We were talking about you and Derek being friends, Casey, not sleeping together!" Nora reached for her wine glass blindly. "I thought he was your…your sponsor."

Casey frowned in confusion. "My sponsor?" She asked. Derek leaned close and whispered in her ear.

"I believe your mother thinks you're a lush, sweetheart."

Casey jerked her head round to stare at her mother. "You think I'm an alcoholic!" She gasped.

Nora looked even more uncomfortable. "Well, you must admit it was a close run thing back then and …"

"Mom!" Casey whined. Nora fidgeted with the wine glass.

"I'm sorry Casey, you were just so unreachable for so long, and then you went to Ottawa and met "Mikey". I guess when you both revealed that Mikey was really Derek I just thought the change in your behaviour was down to you seeking help. Not…"  
>"Not falling in love with your step-brother." Jazz added helpfully. Bea elbowed him again and hissed for him to be quiet.<p>

George shifted in his seat. "Let me get this straight." He said, addressing Derek. "You're sleeping with Casey?"

Derek lounged back in his chair. "If you want to put it like that."

"And you wouldn't" George's tone was slightly accusatory.

"No. I wouldn't." Derek didn't enlighten his father.

"George…" Casey started. George ignored her.

"Don't you think it's rather _irresponsible_?" He asked his son with thinly disguised anger.

Derek stayed calm. "No. I don't." he replied recognising, with the maturity of a man in his late twenties, that his father had been deprived of the sight of Derek growing beyond his teenage years. On some level, George still saw Derek as a college kid.

"Derek, Casey is not someone you…you "mess about" with." Derek's father tried to explain his reservations.

Derek glanced at Casey. "No. She isn't. Not that I'm in the habit of "messing about" with women these days."

"You're not fifteen now." George pointed out helpfully.

"Exactly." Derek nodded his confirmation.

"And neither is Casey." Nora added.

"No Mom, I'm not." Casey agreed. "Which means I am allowed some degree of say in who I date."

"Date?" Derek frowned.

"You know what I mean." Casey dismissed his concern.

On the sidelines, Edwin nudged Lizzie in the ribs.

"I'd say this trumps our relationship." He whispered cheerily. "Not that I want Dad and Nora to freak out, but the heat is _so_ off us right now!"

"Ed-win!" Lizzie hissed back. "Be nice." Though secretly she agreed.

"I just…" Nora started to say and stopped, unsure how to express her thoughts. Unlike George she was more shocked than angry.

"Mom, a year ago I was a mess and alcohol played a small part in that…yes. But the biggest part of it all was losing Derek." Casey lifted her hand from her lap and revealed that it was linked with Derek's own hand. She didn't look at him though. Talking of losing Derek was hard enough without seeing his face in front of her.

"When Derek came back into my life it made me realise how much of my life was missing without him. However, you saw our relationship when we were kids you can't deny that we were a big part of each other's lives. Seeing Derek for the first time after so long was…eye-opening."

"For me it was just painful." Derek said with a smirk. "She hit me." He explained.

"Not at first I didn't." Casey corrected him with a blush.

"No. Not at first." Derek squeezed her hand. "That was one hell of a kiss." He added quietly.

The table was silent for a moment. Then it was Derek who spoke.

"We slipped back into our old roles really easily at first." He explained and then rubbed the back of Casey's hand with his thumb. "And then we realised that as much as everything was the same between us, everything had also changed. We tried to continue as before, but…"

Casey finished his thought. "…we needed each other too much. It wasn't a sudden thing. It was so gradual I'm still not convinced that it hadn't started before we even left school."

"The result is still the same, though." Derek concluded. "Nora, you said I should look to the future and find someone to share it.

I don't need to. I already know who it is."

Marti coughed pointedly in the silence that followed. "So is it an engagement ring?" She asked with a very slight edge to her voice. Casey looked apologetically at her youngest sister.

"Yes." She admitted and raised her left hand.

Marti nodded, trying to ignore a niggle of disappointment that she had only found out when everyone else did. "It's pretty." She said. "Didn't you have a picture of a ring like that when I was a kid?"  
>Casey nodded. "Yes. Derek remembered it when he saw this one in a pawn shop. It only cost fifty dollars but I love it." She looked up at her mother. "Mom, it's going to take you a while to understand this change in our relationship because it took us a long time to understand it. I don't need you to be happy about it right now. I just need you to not freak out about it."<p>

Nora nodded. "I appreciate that." She said. "It _is_ going to take a lot of getting used to. I am relieved you don't have a…erm…problem, with alcohol, I mean."

"It was a close call for a while." Casey said honestly. "Before Amelia was born. Sam and Ralph had their work cut out looking after me."

"Is that why you aren't drinking now?" Nora asked.

There was a pause.

"No Mom." Casey said. She took a deep breath and just went for it.

"I'm pregnant."

George turned to his son.

"Der-ek!"


	9. Epilogue: The Nameless One

She was finally asleep: worn out, ragged but still as beautiful as she had ever been. This was just one of the days where he loved her completely but he thought maybe this picture before him would be the abiding image of the one day that he would treasure the most. There was a raw beauty here amongst the blood, sweat and tears which would never be surpassed…

…never…

…until maybe the next time.

Derek smiled. _The next time._ He knew there would be a next time. This time might not have been planned, but it was an inevitable part of their future just the same as _the next time_ was an inevitable part.

And maybe more times after that. He liked that idea.

But with the understanding of a more seasoned husband, he knew better than to mention "next times" so close to _this_ time!

Casey slept on. Her matted hair hung about her face in a way that he thought reminiscent of the night that had led to this. She looked tired even in slumber and he felt a pang of guilt mixed with sheer elation.

In his eyes she was a superhero – heroine: a woman who had achieved the ultimate human endeavour. She had done what millions had done before her but unlike the climbing of Everest or the sailing of an ocean her achievement was not lessened by the frequency of how often it had gone before. She had achieved a miracle, and to him her achievement was unique.

In her sleep, Casey smiled. And he loved her even more.

Every cliché he had ever known came flooding back. She was the oxygen in his atmosphere, the sun in his backyard and, yes, if you must have it the wind beneath his wings. He thought in hyperbole. But when he had been asked how he felt earlier, the answer had been simply "great": "Great" like Alexander, "Great" like the wall of China, and "Great" like an imperial nation.

Derek lived again and Casey was his reason.

There was a tiny whimpering squeak and Derek corrected himself.

Yes, she was his reason to live, but as of two hours ago it was a position she did not solely own. As of two hours ago, her place in his heart was shared with another entity:

The Nameless One.

* * *

><p>Derek glanced at his wife as she slept on and concern that she might soon be disturbed drew him to walk cautiously closer to the other side of the bed. Softly, he approached the perspex bassinette as one might approach a wild beast, a venomous snake or a rabid dog. He was nearing thirty, a grown man but a small part of him still feared the tiny figure in the small box which lay beside Casey.<p>

His son.

He chuckled at his fear because for many lonely years that had been Derek's way. He faced the enemy head on, weapon drawn and exit route planned out. But there was no weapon for this situation, there was no exit route set out because the tiny baby lying in his tiny bed was less an enemy and more a challenge: something new, something previously un-encountered, but mostly something _real_: real and vulnerable – something _alive_.

A life.

It was a life which for the moment belonged to Derek and Casey. They were this new life's caretakers.

But of course, Casey was justifiably asleep, recharging well-spent energy that had delivered this new life into their complicated world. Which left the care-giving role to the remaining parent and no matter how often Derek looked around for someone else to step up to the task, there was no one.

It had taken two to bring them to this point: two parents to create the nameless one. And whilst the one parent slept, the job was left to the remaining one.

To Derek: former hockey player, former high school clown, former undercover operative, current husband, current _father_.

The tiny bundle snuffled again and then threw out his arms in a jerk which crashed against his plastic prison with a loud thump. Casey stirred and Derek placed a hand on her arm.

"I've got him." He whispered kissing her brow. Casey smiled in her sleep and was still.

Derek reached the small box and looked down at the figure it contained. All thought rushed from his mind as he stared at his future. The features he saw, a clear combination of his own face and Casey's, scrunched up at the strange sensation of bright light and cool air.

The light wasn't bright, of course, the lights in the hospital room were at their lowest setting and the temperature was far from cool, instead warm and close in a way that made Derek regret the clothes he had chosen this morning.

But then this morning he hadn't know that he would be sleeping here – beside his wife and their first child. Today's events had been a bit of a shock.

The Nameless One stirred again. His muffled squeaks were getting louder and Derek noted the frown on Casey's brow and he knew it was time to step up to the mark.

To truly become a father.

Not that he hadn't held the tiny form already. Derek had been there for the cutting of the cord. He'd been the first of the new parents to hold the warm (and wet) arrival. In fact it had been Derek's pants that had been soaked with the first offering from the baby's loins. But with the joy of a new father he had barely noticed until it was pointed out to him. Consequently his long-sleeved t-shirt, and short-sleeved shirt were paired with an inelegant pair of sea-green scrubs loaned to him by the amused nurses.

The father had attended the classes, and if there had been end-of-course tests he would have aced them. Derek knew the correct way to hold a baby, he knew the limited range of the baby's eyesight and he knew all the associated trivialities that seem important to impart to a new set of parents. But it was all theory and now Derek had to learn how to put it in practice.

Derek leaned over the tiny cot and slid his large hands under the diminutive body of his child and scooped him up into his arms. The little figure stopped its snuffling and opened his eyes. The small face blinked and began to whimper. Derek shifted the baby to his shoulder and began to pace.

"Now don't you start that, little guy." He whispered so gently his voice barely carried at all as he rubbed small gentle circles on the infant's back. "We're going to set some ground rules right now. You do not back-chat the old man, understood?"

The whimpering stopped at the sound of a soft voice and the warmth of a pair of arms.

"Good." Derek continued, equally quietly. "We're going to have no disrespecting the parentals. I'm not a soft touch like your grandfather."

The little warm, velvet head nuzzled its way under Derek's chin and murmured contentedly. Derek closed his eyes at the sensation and swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"Doing the ol' nuzzle thing isn't going to work." _Much_. "And even if I was a soft touch, believe you and me, your mother isn't going to let us get anything past her. I've been trying for more years than I care to count and she still manages to zero in on my wrong-doings without any effort at all."

Derek glanced across to check that Casey was still sleeping.

"But I'm telling you, if you keep your mom on your side, you'll win every battle in life. She's the most amazing woman I've ever met but you got to promise me you'll never tell her I said that."

Derek's son began to drift off again to the sound of his father's voice telling about his mother. Somewhere buried deep in the little boy's sub conscious there was probably a part of him that remembered Derek's speech patterns and tone from long conversation between the adult man and his wife's belly. After all, this wasn't Derek's first attempt at parental instruction.

Sensing he was losing his audience, Derek walked carefully back to the large armchair where he had been resting. He resumed his seat with the little boy still close to his heart, leaned back and rubbed his son's back reassuringly.

"You sleep, son. I'll let you know when the breakfast bar opens again." He said and then chuckled to himself, glad that Casey hadn't heard him refer to her in that way.

Then, his chin gently brushing the downy head of his child and his fingers stroking tiny fingers and hands, Derek allowed his mind to wander.

* * *

><p>Their parents' reaction to Casey's pregnancy had been unexpected. Having just sat through thirty minutes of justifying their relationship and subsequent engagement, Derek had been pessimistic about the possibility of George and Nora accepting their prospective roles as grandparents. He had visions of having to stand up and make some impassioned speech about protecting his little family from the bigger family; pleading for his father and step-mother to understand that this baby was the world's best blessing on their lives and not an inconvenience. Derek and Casey believed – in the absence of a strict faith in their lives – that somewhere someonesomething/the universe was placing the seal of approval on their love. They believed it was a love so strong it _became_ a new life.

They wanted their family to believe that too and they were prepared to fight for it.

But instead of the same kind of long-winded examination that the news of their relationship had brokered, their parents merely paused – and then laughed.

Despite his "Der-ek!", it was George who had laughed the loudest. He threw back his head and his whole body shook.

"Only you!" Derek's father exclaimed as he thumped the table. (Nora frowned at him). "Only you, who had the entire female world at your feet could fall in love with the one person who professed to hate you…"

"…make her change her mind…" interjected Nora.

"…and then get her pregnant!" George finished. "I'm in awe, Derek. How the hell did you manage that one?"

Casey rolled her eyes. "Actually George, Derek didn't really get much say in it."

Derek nodded, slightly bewildered at his father's reaction. "She's right you know."

"How many weeks are you?" Nora asked, moving on to practicalities.

"Twelve." Casey answered. "It took me a while to realise there was a baby because we were busy on Derek's case, and then when I did realise we decided to wait and tell you in person rather than over the phone."

Lizzie laughed. "Oh yeah! That would have been a great conversation. "Hey Mom! Guess what? I'm pregnant by your dead step-son." Mom would have had you in rehab quicker than Edwin inhales a bag of chips."

"Hey!" Edwin protested, but as it was his girlfriend saying it, and it was accurate, he didn't protest too much.

"You could have told _me_." Marti said quietly.

"And have you walking around looking all "I know a secret"-smug? I don't think so." Derek told his baby sister. "Everyone would have known something was up."

"I didn't let on about you being alive." She pointed out.

"…because even you wouldn't have gone that far, but you're a sucker when it comes to babies. Remember when Nora told us she was expecting Robbie? You told every person who shared the same airspace as you for the next six months."

"I was nine!"

"You were _Marti_." Edwin slotted in. "Derek's right. You'd never have kept that one secret!"

"As of this moment, I have no brothers." She sulked.

"Hey!" Robbie protested.

Marti winked apologetically at him.

"So George," Jazz said a while later, completely ignoring the fact that he had only been introduced to Derek's father earlier that evening. "How does it feel to be a granddad?"

"What?" George stuttered awake from his musings over the dessert menu. He frowned.

Jazz grinned at Derek. "Well, now that Derek and Casey are going to be parents, clearly that makes you an almost-granddad."

"And Nora an almost-grandmother." Edwin nodded.

The difference in the two reactions was priceless. Nora beamed joyfully, excitement burning in her eyes as she grinned at her eldest daughter. George's frown deepened and Casey swore she saw her step-father examining his reflection in the silver wine bucket placed on the table.

"Yeah Dad, I guess that makes you _old_!" Derek helpfully pointed out.

Everyone giggled a bit, even George when Nora elbowed him and chided "Oh Georgie! So what's a grey hair or two! I still think you're hot."

"Ew! Mom…Dad…No!" Robbie complained.

George took a deep breath and Casey noted in his eyes the genetic look of calculation her fiancé had clearly inherited from his own father.

"I'm fine with being a grandfather," George said. "Especially if I live long enough to see Derek deal with the teenage years. It would be poetic justice if life granted Derek with a daughter!"

Sitting in the hospital armchair, Derek thought first time around at least, life had spared him that eventuality but he wasn't averse to a girl next time. Especially, since her older brother would be trained from birth to do Derek's job for him…

* * *

><p>In the hospital room, with the baby sleeping peacefully, Derek's thoughts turned to the other people who had sat around that table six months ago.<p>

Spike's decision to let Derek handle the reorganisation of the office had proved a shrewd move and together with Jazz they were turning the department into a slick, well-knit group of men and women. Spike looked happier now, as his confidence in his team grew and Derek knew that at some point the guy would feel confident enough to pass on the reins down the line. Derek hoped it wasn't for a while yet. He wasn't ready for more responsibility. The little bundle of joy drooling on his shoulder and his beautiful, challenging mother were responsibility enough for now.

Jazz and Bea were also married. Unlike Derek and Casey who five months ago had decided to have a small but traditional marriage involving church, family and friends, Jazz and Bea went on vacation and returned joined in matrimonial bliss.

Like Derek, Jazz too was happy to follow his superior's orders rather than give them although Derek thought he would be angling for a desk role in the not too distant future. Bea, feeling enough time had been lost in their life together, also wanted a family. Derek knew that Casey and Bea would love for their children to grow up together with similar ages, particularly as Sam and Ruth had just decided to up-sticks and relocate to Ottawa. Apparently, Sam had been offered a position in his firm's Ottawa office a long time ago. It was a big career boost but he had previously turned it down because he knew no one in the Ottawa area. That had obviously changed and Derek had a feeling the three couples were going to be the greatest of friends.

Edwin and Lizzie seemed to be vaguely keeping some sort of relationship going. Some days it was more off than on, but Derek put that down to youth. He had suspicions that if they held out long enough, he and Casey weren't going to be the only McDonald-Venturis to follow in their parents' footsteps and marry. _If _ Edwin could only loosen up a bit, and Lizzie a little less.

Marti and Simon were still going strong. She laughed when Derek suggested she might beat Edwin to the altar, pretending that she didn't believe in the concept of marriage. Derek might have believed her only he had the photographic proof of her childhood on his hard drive – pictures of Marti and Dimi posing as they "cut the cake".

Marti had forgiven Derek and Casey their secrets as everyone had. These were a set of friends and family who had known what it was to lose someone. They all recognised that second chances are rare. They had already had theirs and no one was going to risk losing it all again.

They were a joyous family.

Over the months, there had been others let into the secrets. Sam had told Ralph and there had been an emotional visit to Ottawa for him too where Ralph uncharacteristically cried. Derek had been surprised, and then touched by the knowledge that his friend valued their friendship that deeply. He had relished the opportunity to thank him for the care-taking he had shown towards Casey in the dark days, and they all grew closer as a result.

Emily discovered the secret by accident, coming across Derek and Casey during a rare visit back to their old neighbourhood. Though pleased at the news that her former boyfriend was very much alive and thriving, Derek was left with the impression that Emily felt someone had played a prank on her. They all stayed in touch, but things were never the same.

* * *

><p>The Nameless One shuffled again in Derek's arms. Derek smiled, kissing his son's cheek and promising himself that he would stop calling the little boy "The Nameless One". It made him sound like a character from Harry Potter – someone Derek was now very familiar with having been given the complete works of JK Rowling over the summer when Casey had discovered that Derek had not read the books, despite the years which had passed since their publication. She coerced him into reading the first book using her pregnancy moods as leverage.<p>

She only needed to do it for the first book – after that he was hooked.

Not everything was harmonious between the two of them, but few couples could boast such a love-match. At the moment, their arguments were largely limited to one subject, that of their forth-coming child's first name. They had spent seven months debating this and the matter was still not resolved even on the day of his birth.

Hence "The Nameless One".

Derek had even suggested "Voldemort" as an appropriate name, much to Casey's disapproval.

"We're intelligent adults, Derek. We should be able to come up with a sensible name for our child."

"Yeah but can we come up with one that we agree on?" Derek had quipped back.

"Not helpful, moron." Casey groaned.

That had been this morning at breakfast. Derek had thought the groaning was a little over the top – until he realised that the groaning had nothing to do with Casey's reaction to his comments and everything to do with the fact she was in labour!

So now, in the relative peace of their little hospital room, Derek thought the least he could do while the little guy and his mother slept was to come up with a name.

* * *

><p>But then Derek's mind wandered again.<p>

It was something to do with the way Casey looked in her sleep: vulnerable and in need of protection. Now it was his job, but he thought back over the years that had passed and the collection of good friends who had stepped up to the task when Derek couldn't: Sam, Ralph, Marti and Simon…and Steven. The former he could thank, in most cases had already. He had taken Sam and Ralph, Marti and Simon to one side and told them time and again how much he owed them for keeping his wife safe long before she held that position; during that horrible time when, even if it had occurred to him, the idea of a future with Casey was one of those bizarre dreams you have after too much cheap alcohol.

When Casey had been at her lowest there had been friends ready to support her, to care for her, to get her through each day.

Then there had been Steven…and Derek's debt to him was the greatest.

Steven had loved Casey in his own way but had never pushed it. He had supported her need to grieve and never intruded on it. He had helped her get a job, a home and contact with her family.

All of these things made him a decent friend in Derek's eyes.

The thing that Derek appreciated Steven for more than anything else was that Casey's friend had done the one thing that Derek would do for her a thousand times over – but thanks to Steven- Derek would never need to do.

Steven had died for Casey.

He had done it willingly, in pursuit of her needs and because he knew what would help her without requiring her to voice it.

By dying for Casey, and by association Derek, Steven had ensured that she had a future. It was a future which Derek would now ensure was filled with love, joy and the sound of children's laughter.

Without Steven in Casey's life, Derek would not have lived to see today. Though clearly not his father, without Steven the tiny child in Derek's arms would not exist.

With those thoughts, Derek _knew_ that he had found the solution. He knew what his son's name should be.

It would be a reminder of the sacrifices we make for love and friendship; a reminder that love survives even death; it would draw together the story of Derek and the story of Casey and the love between them.

It would be a final legacy of a man who gave much to his two friends and the _crown_ to their future.

Derek knew Casey would love it.

The End.

* * *

><p>AN: Hopefully the name he chose should be obvious...<p>

Towards the end my updates were very slow and inconsistent. I apologise as I know many people have told me that my regular updates are part of the "charm" of my stories.

The reason, you will probably know, is that we made a decision six months ago to move house - we're still in the middle of doing that. It's not a simple thing to do when there are four of you! The situation won't settle down for a while so I'm not making any promises about my updates.

Another reason why the updates were slow is because writing a trilogy is very difficult. I have a renewed appreciation for JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. Keeping a plot going over three stories is very hard work. It's hard not to feel jaded by the end.

Sometime ago I thought that this story might be my last one for a while because I wanted to go back to writing original stuff. I still do want to do that, but for now at least I do have one further LWD story in the pipeline. It will be a little different as it will include several real people (who have all given their permission) but it will be a Dasey and otherwise, follow my usual sort of thinking. I'll publish as soon as I can but for various reasons I want to do it justice.

I suggest you put me on author alert if you are keen to read any future offerings. That way you'll get notified even if it's way down the line. (Somehow I don't think I'll ever really stop... after all I keep promising I'll finish Parental Conversations)!

Till next time (hopefully not too distant into the future)

Sarah


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